Here is a free checklist to help you prepare for the increased cargo theft exposure!
Free Weekend/Holiday Cargo Theft Checklist
While you’re enjoying a nice hot dog or hamburger with your friends and family, cargo thieves will be watching and waiting in an attempt to help your company become a cargo theft statistic!
According to Freightwatch International:
Holiday weekends are of notoriously high risk for manufacturers and logistics-related organizations. Organized cargo theft rings will be extremely active in the coming days, as more shipments are left unattended for extended periods of time due to the long holiday weekend.
The easiest solution is to try to ensure that you don’t have any cargo resting anywhere.
Since I’m betting that isn’t very practical for your organization, try to make it as hard as possible for would-be thieves to pick you as a target.
Try to make sure that you match delivery times as closely as possible to avoid having to keep the cargo on a truck over the weekend.
If you have to leave a truck and trailer unattended, try to find the most secure place that you can to park.
Anything is usually better than an unsecured parking lot!
Well lit, fenced lots with limited access tend to be better choices.
Be sure to utilize good physical security measures on both the tractor and the trailer.
If you have goods stored in a warehouse or terminal facility, now is the best time to do a security walk-around to make sure that nothing seems out of place. Be suspicious of any unusual new vehicles being parked around your location.
Have any of your security or janitorial vendors installed any new equipment recently? I’ve heard of cameras being covertly hidden in trash cans and placed near the front door of a terminal locations in an attempt to read key codes being punched in by unknowing employees.
You have to be willing to outsmart potential thieves at their own game!
During Memorial Day Weekends in the past, the FreightWatch International Supply Chain Intelligence Center (FWI SCIC) has recorded elevated theft levels up to 40% higher than non-holiday weekends. Additionally, Home & Garden products have recorded an increase in both theft rate and loss value during Memorial Day of years past, increasing by 16% and 57% respectively.
If you’re a freight broker or a freight forwarder please please please be VERY suspicious of loads being set with a Friday pickup and Monday delivery this weekend!
You should be suspicious of weekend loads already, but use extra caution this week is absolutely necessary! Without extreme caution, nobody will know that the load is missing for 3 to 4 days. That’s a great deal of time to steal a load and help it disappear.
Fictitious load pick-ups and carrier identity theft IS a real exposure!!
As an added bonus for your hard working employees, closing up shop around lunchtime might help them resist the urge to cut corners and getting that last load or two of the week done. It might cost you a little bit in revenue, but it could save you hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses, increased insurance premiums and reputation!
According to Freightwatch:
Some notable thefts over Memorial Day Weekend 2012-2014 were:
2012, Florida, Fictitious Pickup of Produce
2012, New Jersey, Fictitious Pickup of Meats
2012, Florida, Full Truckload of Home & Garden, $500,000
2012, Florida, Full Truckload of NASA Equipment, $500,000
2013, Texas, Full Truckload of Seafood, $250,000
2013, California, Full Truckload of Apparel, $300,000
2013, Florida, Full Truckload of Medication, $300,000
2013, California, Full Truckload of Medication, $386,400
2014, South Carolina, Full Truckload of Cosmetics, $200,000
2014, Florida, Full Truckload of Televisions & Displays, $800,000
As an extra added bonus Independence Day, Labor Day, Halloween, Christmas and New Year’s Day 2017 are all going to be on or around a weekend this year too!!
(Thanksgiving is always on a Thursday…and there are always supply chain threats around that time too with retailers stockpiling for Black Friday).
I hope that everyone has a very safe, happy and theft free Memorial Day!!
Thank you to all of those who have served to protect our freedom and God Bless America!
Thanks!
Sam
Sam Tucker, CEO
Carrier Risk Solutions, Inc.
Carrier Risk Solutions, Inc. is a DOT compliance and fleet safety management firm dedicated to helping trucking companies improve their profitability by optimizing their safety programs.
Find out more about our company and our services at www.CarrierRiskSolutions.com
