Cargo security professionals often recommend a layered security approach to reduce thefts, but what does that mean? There are various solutions to protecting goods and equipment in transit and at rest. Security minded companies utilize multiple solutions, therefore having several layers of security in place. Below are six examples of security layers fleets should consider especially as cargo theft continues to rise.

GPS: Permanent or portable GPS tracking devices can be used to prevent theft and, if needed, quickly recover stolen assets. Choose a reliable solution that can be easily monitored with location information quickly accessible. Consider using geo-fencing when the truck or trailer is parked to be alerted when unauthorized movement occurs.

Locks: Utilize heavy duty, high quality locks on trucks and trailers.  Depending on the type of semi-trailer you or your fleet own, there are multiple security devices to prevent theft and pilferage. ENFORCER products include ABLOY® heavy duty padlocks and security devices that incorporate ABLOY lock cylinders or padlocks. ABLOY locks function reliably in extreme environments and allow for various master keying systems.

Multiple locks should be used to secure cargo and equipment. To prevent break-ins and pilferages of swing door trailers seek a robust lock such as the ENFORCER Adjustable Lock or hasp and padlock assembly. If you have a roll up door lock, the ENFORCER Roll Up Door Lock is a high quality solution. To prevent unauthorized hook up to dropped trailers, consider a king pin lock, landing gear lock or glad hand lock. To secure an unattended truck, utilize an easy to install Air Cuff Lock. 

Lighting: According to CargoNet’s 2021 Supply Chain Risk Trends Analysis, the top targeted location for theft was truck stops.  Drivers should stop at truck stops with floodlights and park near or under those lights. Parking in a well-lit location will make it harder for a thief to steal or pilferage a trailer unseen. Pre-planning the routes and stops can help ensure drivers are parked at safe stops. 

Fencing: The second most targeted location for theft according to CargoNet’s 2021 Supply Chain Risk Trends Analysis, was Warehouses/Distribution Centers.  Install a full-perimeter fence around your location to protect any equipment or goods that are stored outdoors. Electric fences are a good deterrent to stop theft and should be considered. Add surveillance cameras as an additional layer. 

Driver education:  Theft can be reduced by educating drivers on current theft statistics and trends. Providing drivers with information on where theft is occurring and safe parking locations is becoming increasingly important. Consider joining industry organizations that provide details on where and how thefts are occurring. In addition, educate your drivers to not discuss the load they are hauling or other route information at truck stops, etc.

Escort Services: Escort services are a separate car that trails a high value load as extra protection. They help to plan out required stops and are an extra set of eyes when the driver needs to leave the truck and trailer. Escort services help ensure a delivery gets to it intended destination safely and securely.

To have a strong cargo security program, fleets should review their current security layers and consider adding any of the above if they are not being utilized at this time. These layers can help mitigate theft and costly disruptions to your supply chain.

 By James Jaillet 

The Transportation Security Administration has issued an internal report warning of the potential for terrorists to use trucks as weapons to conduct attacks. TSA also released a list of countermeasures, mostly involving awareness of surroundings and reporting suspicious activity, that truck owners and operators should heed to help prevent such attacks from occurring. READ ARTICLE - CCJ 

By  Bob Gatty Editor Convenience Distribution  Convenience Distribution Magazine Online
 

HILLSBOROUGH (FOX 13) -The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office thwarted a massive pharmaceutical drug heist during an undercover sting that resulted in the arrest of two truck drivers. 

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MEMPHIS, TN (WMC) -A man accused of trying to steal nearly $1 million of LeBron James sneakers using a trailer didn't get very far thanks to a highly trained task force. Read Article

People steal the darnedest things, and South Florida certainly isn’t immune. But the early morning heist of a 48-foot, multimillion-dollar, state-of-the-art television production truck from the parking lot of a Miami Lakes hotel left a lot of people puzzled.

DirecTV and CBS sports broadcaster Rich Eisen wondered how he would do his Thursday show before the broadcast of the Miami Dolphins-Buffalo Bills football game at Sun Life Stadium. The truck’s owners, a production company named NEP, wondered as well: What could anyone possibly do with a truck that size?

“That’s a very good question we’d like to know the answer to,” said NEP marketing manager Meredith Knight.

And Miami-Dade police were left wondering where anyone would hide a several-ton 18-wheeler that’s almost 20 yards long and has a dark blue exterior with the word “Sweetwater” printed on it.


Just before 8 p.m. Wednesday, they got their answer. Police recovered the trailer in Northwest Dade and said it didn’t appear anything had been stolen or damaged, although the truck cab was still missing.

Knight said the show wouldn’t have missed a beat anyway, as another production truck from an alternate location was already on its way to Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, where the Dolphins play.

The Dolphins host the Bills Thursday night. Kickoff is set for 8:25 p.m.; the game will be aired on the NFL Network.

Eisen, a former ESPN broadcaster who now hosts The Rich Eisen Show for DirecTV, initially reported the truck missing in a tweet just past noon Wednesday.

“Breaking News. The satellite truck we had booked to do our show from Miami tomorrow has been stolen. This is not a drill,” Eisen wrote.

The truck is operated by a company called Sweetwater, a division of NEP, which DirecTV contracts out for Eisen’s telecasts. It’s used specifically for Eisen’s show, not the NFL Network or the local CBS affiliate’s broadcast of the football game.

Knight, the NEP representative, said directors and producers use the truck as a control room, and Eisen typically does the broadcast from a location outside the truck.

The truck, which NEP calls Pacific, was supposed to spend the night in the parking lot of the TownPlace Suites Hotel at 8079 NW 154th St., also in Miami Lakes. It was taken sometime between 10 p.m. Tuesday and 6 a.m. Wednesday.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article3830096.html#storylink=cpy