The Swiped Stuff, Part IV

Getting There

As we near the end of our “Swiped Stuff” series, including retail theft and cargo theft, keep in mind (and it boggles the mind) that up to $30 billion in cargo is stolen each year.

The goal would seem to develop a cohesive and comprehensive approach to dealing with it: countering and combatting and minimizing product loss.

Easier said than done. There’s no real national standard for fighting theft. (Even the insurance companies have various categories of theft.)

Truck security is different; for example, reefers are not like flatbeds. Key and lock systems ⏤ from key to fob to phone app ⏤ vary among brands and companies. CCTV monitoring is in place at key hot points, or it’s not.

One way to reduce such loss is to get a good idea of what exactly is being stolen, in what quantities, and in what arenas (i.e., parking lot, truck stop, warehouse, impersonator).

The American Transportation Research Institute just put out a call for “motor carriers and brokers to participate in a new data collection initiative.”

It’s a survey that provides a way for the target groups to share their information anonymously.

The anonymous angle is key.

First, it protects identities. Who wants to publicly fess up that they’re getting robbed of so much stuff, and so often? Will potential and existing customers have second thoughts about doing business if any given company has what might be perceived as reputation management issues?

Second, it protects the details of any weaknesses, perceived and actual, of companies. If the XYZ company says, “Yes, we know there is a security lapse at the bay doors,” we can be confident the bad guys are going to target those bay doors at their earliest convenience.

You can find the survey for motor carriers and brokers HERE.