Holiday Weekend Means Heightened Cargo Security Measures

With the Fourth of July holiday weekend upon us, it’s time for manufacturers and logistics-related organizations to beef up their security measures to help prevent the rise in cargo thefts that typically occurs now and during other holidays. That’s because more shipments are left unattended for extended periods of time over a long holiday weekend, and organized cargo theft rings are on the prowl targeting goods. In fact, according to FreightWatch International, organized cargo-theft rings are often more active on holiday weekends with theft levels being elevated by as much as 40% compared to non-holiday weekends. In 2015, FreightWatch says the average loss cargo value over the July 4th weekend was $1.1 million – that’s six times higher than the average loss cargo value over the entire year. Three separate electronics thefts, including theft of computers, cell phones, and hard drives contributed to this high loss in 2015.

In Washington, for example, a full truckload of cell phones valued at $5.7 million was stolen over the Fourth of July last year. In California, a facility housing hard drives worth $381,000 were stolen, and in Nevada, a facility with computers valued at $250,000 were stolen.

Mitigating Cargo Thefts

Here are several security measures that transportation and logistics providers should follow during this upcoming holiday weekend to help mitigate cargo theft:

• Ensure security protocols are up to date and in sync with best practices for both transit and warehouse operations.
• For cargo at rest, confirm that a receiver’s hours of operation for the holiday weekend are consistent with scheduled delivery times. Also, utilize secure lots that provide sufficient barriers to prevent theft or unauthorized access. Close truck doors before pulling into the lot so that surveillance efforts cannot see what has been loaded onto trailers.
• Utilize covert GPS tracking and active monitoring of high-value shipments, as they have proved to be the most effective protocols to mitigate in-transit theft and facilitate recovery of stolen product.

In addition, ensure all cameras at your location are functioning properly and, if not, consider replacing them with high-definition models that can make out specific details. You may also want to boost your holiday security guard staff to help protect your cargo. Have additional guards on hand to patrol areas that are not visible to cameras or passersby.

Roanoke Trade specializes in providing transportation and logistics providers with comprehensive insurance and risk management solutions. Our portfolio of insurance products includes cargo coverage designed to respond to transit risks such as theft and damage to your goods during domestic and/or international transit. To learn more about our insurance products, please contact one of our professionals at 1-800-ROANOKE (800-762-6653).