Cargo theft is a growing problem in the United States but with proper precautions and protocols, shippers and carriers can help reduce their risk of becoming a victim. Below are a few quick facts you need to know:
*140 cargo thefts occurred in 2019’s first quarter, according to CargoNet, resulting in an average loss of $145,722 per shipment and $12.8 million. (1)
*As in previous quarters, food and beverages remained the most common product stolen with California facing the highest theft activity among the states. (1)
*Insider jobs remain a large threat to the supply chain as thieves are working with employees within the company to gather shipment information including routes, locations, product info, etc. As TT Club Claims Executive Mike Yarwood explains, “Due diligence in recruiting and managing staff is paramount. In general, full or part-time salaried staff are less of a security risk than sub-contractors.” (2)
*While technology is constantly growing and changing, more and more thieves are utilizing the internet to find and secure loads, posing as carriers and drivers on load boards to secure a shipment, forging documents, utilizing burner phones, and then taking off with the freight. Once stolen, counterfeit products become a large concern. As Scott Fletcher, the president and CEO of LocatorX, states, “Olive oil is one of the most widely counterfeited products in the world. When they counterfeit olive oil, they usually either substitute it with a completely different type of product – like peanut oil or sunflower oil. If you have a peanut allergy and you think you’re buying a certified olive oil product when it actually contains traces of peanuts, you might get sick. This is why we believe that we are solving a problem that has never really been solved in the market before.” (3)
*Social media accounts are not to be excluded from the technology on the market today helping thieves to steal cargo, as drivers who post their locations or details on their loads to Facebook become open targets, emphasizing the need to keep shipment information secure at all times.
*Those who feel that just because their freight has GPS tracking are protected in case anything should go wrong should think again. “As technology evolves, so does that of the criminal element,” states Trooper Brent Miller, director of communications for the Pennsylvania State Police. “The unit has charged cargo-theft suspects in possession of jamming devices used to block GPS signals and thwart tracking by law enforcement.” (1)
A multi-layered approach needs to be taken for the best protection from cargo theft. Here are some way Road Scholar Transport is helping keep your high valued goods safe during transport:
*We are a 100% asset based carrier so you can be sure that a uniformed Road Scholar Transport representative who is constantly trained on the latest cargo theft threats is moving your freight.
*We’ve never suffered a full cargo loss in company history.
*Expedited services are available so that your product is not sitting on a dock for days.
*All shipment locations and temperature ranges are tracked and monitored real time via telematics. Road Scholar uses track, trace, and temperature monitoring solutions from Orbcomm to keep an electronic eye on freight.
*Geofencing capability-route and customer specific.
*24 x 7 dispatch and oversight.
*US customs approved Navalock-bolt cutter, sledgehammer and chisel proof. We use the Babaco TRUK-LOC V on high-security lods. A lock that CANNOT be shimmed, lost, cut, stolen, or forgotten.
*Dedicated use and teams.
*Electronic door monitoring providing e-mail alerting, online monitoring/reporting, on-demand GPS location, and complete coverage throughout North & Central America.
*Brightly colored and easily distinguishable awareness trucks.
*Like something from a Si-Fi film – the future is now with collision avoidance systems that help keep our trucks a safe distance from other vehicles and hazards.
*Rollover will no doubt damage your freight and can be a tragic event. Electronic stability controls help protect the fright and prevent the accident
Check out our high security transport page today.
(1)https://www.lvb.com/report-eastern-pa-among-regions-hardest-hit-cargo-theft/
(2)https://www.dcvelocity.com/articles/20190619-report-finds-cargo-theft-is-most-often-an-inside-job/
(3)https://www.freightwaves.com/news/preventing-cargo-theft-and-counterfeiting-through-track-and-trace
