Alarm sounded on Labor Day cargo theft

Alarm sounded on Labor Day cargo theft    Shippers and transportation providers are warned to be extra vigilant against cargo theft exposure during the upcoming Labor Day weekend, Sept. 3-5.
   ‘Cargo theft rates increase an average of 28 percent over long weekends and provide criminals with excellent opportunities to target, steal and transport goods to their storage locations before the product is even discovered missing,’ said Dan Burges, senior director of intelligence for FreightWatch, in a memo to the industry.
   ‘Additionally, holidays can cause long delays for drivers attempting to deliver loads. These delays will increase the risk to drivers and loads in-transit by leaving them vulnerable for longer periods of time,’ he added. ‘Holiday weekends are notorious for high volumes of cargo theft activity, especially at terminals and drop yards where loaded trailers are parked for long periods of time. This amplifies the need for logistics professionals to ensure their security protocols are up to date and in line with industry best practices.’
   For warehousing operations, FreightWatch recommended companies check that their security alarm systems are working properly. It also recommends:
   ‘ Treating all alarm trouble signals as an intrusion alarm.
   ‘ Not relying on a backup (cellular/radio) system.
   ‘ Assigning a security officer to patrol the facility exterior or have a manager remain at the facility, if the primary alarm fails.
   For in-transit operations, FreightWatch advises drivers remain vigilant and maintain communication with their dispatch when stopped at high-risk areas such as truck stops and rest areas. Loads should not be dropped or left unattended for any reason, it said.