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Have you in any way ever fallen victim to cargo theft"? Or do you intend to transport your cargo to another destination without getting into the hands of the bad guys? Then you are at the right place.
With Cargo theft on the rise in recent times, basic, very important actions such as strengthening your digital presence and doing the necessary security and safety checks can always help curb this fraud drastically.
In fact, according to CargoNet, there were 582 cargo theft incidents reported in the second quarter of 2023 in the United States and Canada combined. This is a 57% increase compared to the same period in 2022.
In this guide, we'll go through the various causes of Cargo theft and possible working solutions to stay clear of these criminals.
But before we go into what the causes of Cargo theft are, let's take a look at what Cargo theft is.
In simple words, Cargo theft is when criminals steal stuff that's being moved from one place to another, like in trucks or ships.
They grab electronics, medicine, food, clothes, or machines. They can do this differently, like taking control of a truck and scaring the driver, breaking into warehouses, or pretending to be a real delivery person.
No doubt, this kind of theft is a big problem because it hurts businesses, customers, and the economy.
Companies lose money, delivery schedules get messed up, and everyone has to spend more money on security and insurance. Plus, it can be really dangerous for truck drivers and other people involved.
Knowing what cargo theft is helps us figure out how to stop it and protect our stuff when it's on the move.
According to CargoNet, the total value of stolen shipments in this period was over $44 million, with an average shipment value per event of $260,70.
In most cases of cargo thefts, the root causes are human-induced. And they may only occur when these errors exist.
We know that the care and safety of cargo or commodities transported is the responsibility of those who make up the supply chain.
If there is any error, they take the blame and are to sort the expenses from the loss because of the original agreement.
When such errors occur, it makes the cargo more vulnerable. This vulnerability allows these criminals to execute their criminal intentions.
Below are some of the some of these errors;
When the security personnel or apparatus are not consistently oriented and retrained, it leaves them flat-footed and confused on how to quickly respond to any other new tactics of attack by these criminals to carry out their evil intent.
Errors like this are responded to by armed robbery, cargo hijacking & container misplacement.
Employing a driver who is unprofessional and inexperienced makes it easier for cargo theft to occur because of his inability to identify when such situations are about to take place.
In most cases, they always like how to improvise and are not able to understand and stay on course with the set safe routes during transportation.
It is an error most cargo thieves look out for, especially the freshers. They are always searching for areas in the containment facility or equipment of the cargo that are loose or unnoticed by the owners so they can exploit it for their evil benefit.
Due to the change in the mode of business transactions from physical meetings and negotiations to a more digital medium, most cargo theft criminals access vulnerable websites of cargo owners or cargo transport companies.
They do this by infiltrating their database through various forms of Cyber attacks to either divert the transportation of the cargo to their base or keep it in a position where it can easily be hijacked or robbed by electronically manipulating the transportation route.
Allowing the logistics vehicle to go without carefully checking the vehicle is very dangerous.
Sometimes, vehicles may have unnoticed issues, and collaborators of cargo thieves may be amongst the employees working in that establishment (to rob it on the way).
They can purposely cause a fault in the vehicle that could lead it to stop along the route.
Some persons in the supply chain make this error, and if by any chance someone outside the supply chain with criminal intentions gets such vital information, the chances for an act of cargo theft becomes more likely to occur.
Having highlighted some of these human-induced root causes, we also understand that no human is beyond error, and as time goes on, we identify the mistakes and learn from them.
Here are the ways Cargo theft can be controlled;
Don't be careless about the security of your online presence. In 2023, there were over 4.5 billion online data breaches globally. It goes to show how important it is to secure your online presence.
To achieve this, you must employ the best website builders with in-depth knowledge of website security and professional social media managers.
The movement of your cargo is equally as important as paying for it. Hiring the right hands in the transport of your cargo should be paramount.
Hiring well-trained, professional, and experienced cargo drivers is very important because they are attentive to instructions, well-conversed with safe and unsafe transport routes, and can improvise if they find themselves in complicated situations.
It is an area that you should not undermine in any way. To give your cargo the necessary security it needs, you must make sure that the security personnel hired are professional and well-trained.
Ensure that they are with weapons and the right communication tools, tracking devices, and surveillance cameras.
For better effectiveness, contract a professional cargo security outfit, Port agencies, or government security agencies.
With strict supervision, monitor the internal activities of your employees and go through their records to know if there is anything incriminating.
Also, ensure that cargo transport vehicles have passed safety checks before sending them out for any job.
Acquiring modern standard containers and strong locks can help prevent cargo buglers from breaking through the container.
Collaborating and creating strong relationships with trade agencies, law enforcement, and port agencies puts you in situations where you can quickly get information on the trends concerning cargo theft, safer transport routes, and assistance for recovery should you fall into such a situation.
Using advanced technological tracking devices/applications such as GPS and RFID tags can help you monitor the movement of the cargo vehicle and the placement of the cargo.
Always make sure to keep the destination or transport route of your cargo private from the persons involved in the supply chain.
In a nutshell, drastic situations demand drastic measures. If you intend to transport your cargo, you should adopt these measures or visit our contact page for assistance and further information regarding the subject matter.
Like other problems affecting cargo transportation, cargo theft is a problem that has been there for years.
Still, simple measures like ensuring proper security and safety checks, hiring professional Cargo vehicle drivers, and more would go a long way in curbing this act.
And although so many have been victims of this circumstance in the same vein, solutions have been recommended. So, take the bull by the horns and protect your businesses.