TBS #56 Cargo Theft
As reported by: outsourced logisitcs
“Today’s economy is driven by a global supply chain. As the supply chain grows more complex, so does the ability to secure it. One of the biggest challenges affecting businesses today is cargo theft and the resulting potential disruption of the supply chain.
How large is this problem? It is difficult to quantify because cargo theft is not always categorized in the same manner and often goes unreported. According to some observers, loss estimates range from $10 billion to $30 billion a year. However, this figure does not capture the indirect costs associated with theft such as lost sales, production down time and missed deliveries. In addition to the financial losses, certain industries such as alcohol, tobacco, and pharmaceuticals face the risk of their products being sold to minors or being counterfeited.
What’s in it for cargo thieves? Well, the obvious answer is the value of the cargo. However, there is another element affecting the dynamics of cargo theft: a relative lack of downside risk. Cargo moves anonymously across the nation’s roads and highways, through jurisdictions with varying resources and abilities or willingness to prosecute if apprehended. Cargo thieves know that law enforcement and prosecutors are less likely to give cargo theft a high priority when the cargo’s owners, transporters and thieves are from another jurisdiction. If there is an apprehension and prosecution, the sentences are often less than other types of crimes such as drug trafficking. Because of the relative ease of hijacking and lenient punishments, cargo theft continues to grow larger year after year. High-tech, high-value products, specifically consumer electronics, are particularly attractive targets.
The criminal element responsible for cargo theft is more sophisticated than ever. A well-executed cargo theft is preplanned and highly coordinated. The stolen goods are often moved quickly to a warehouse, off-loaded, repackaged, re-manifested and placed on another vehicle, often before the theft is discovered or reported to law enforcement. This “illegitimate supply chain” is managed by organized crime operations that know what they are targeting and have the ability to move, transload and distribute stolen goods within hours. Today’s virtual economy often works against legitimate businesses by facilitating the distribution of stolen goods through online marketers and auction sites.”
Can GPS and Telematics prevent cargo theft? Advances in technology, such as GPS tracking, have improved a fleet manager’s ability to monitor vehicles. Onboard telematics technology significantly improves the vehicle recovery process and may deter a less sophisticated criminal. While there have been many success stories with onboard tracking systems, GPS and other common tracking technologies are frequently defeated as criminals adapt to a hardening of the transportation network. Technology alone is not the magic bullet against cargo theft.
An effective security program must be well planned and combine technology with robust security procedures and fundamental security practices. So in this weeks show we are going to discuss how to prevent cargo theft from a drivers perspective.
Filed Under: Trucking industry talk radio • truckers safety • trucking in general • trucking podcast
