How to Stop Cargo Theft Tactics

How You Can Stop Cargo Theft

Businesses in many different industries understand how important it is to stop cargo theft. These crimes cost companies across North America billions of dollars each year, ruin reputations, and cause significant issues throughout the supply chain.

Criminals typically target trucks because they know they can get valuable items quite quickly and they can often do this without being spotted. They also know that, in many cases, trucks are driving across states, provinces, and even national borders. This means it’s often difficult to determine where the theft has happened and, therefore, which jurisdiction should investigate. For this reason, a large percentage of the assets stolen by cargo thieves are never recovered.

Therefore, it’s important to take action to stop cargo theft. To do this, it’s important to understand how these crimes happen so that you can protect yourself and your assets.

How to Stop Cargo Theft on the Road

Often criminals will take advantage of parked trucks or trucks that have stopped at a refueling station. In these cases, they don’t steal entire loads or large amounts. Instead, they take a few boxes or small items and leave the scene before they can be spotted.

This tactic often works because it can be tough for drivers to determine if something is missing. If only a few boxes are gone, this might not be noticeable at first. The criminals have a much greater chance of getting away with their crimes in these situations.

There are several ways to stop cargo theft like this. One is that drivers should always use caution and avoid parking or stopping their trucks in places where they cannot easily be seen. It’s also important to stress to your drivers that they should always lock their vehicles and never leave the keys behind when they stop for food, fuel, or washroom facilities.

Finally, it’s a good idea for companies to require drivers to do a thorough inspection of their trucks and trailers before they leave a site. Whenever a driver is away from their vehicle, even just for a short time, have them check trailer doors, seals, locks, etc. for signs of theft.

Stopping Cargo Theft Due to Fraud

Another important aspect in the fight to stop cargo theft is items that are stolen due to fraud. Two major ways that criminals defraud companies to steal cargo are by lying their way onto a site (such as by using falsified identities) or through an “inside job” where they have someone working on the site helping them.

Both types of crime can be stopped through live remote monitoring. Live monitoring agents can handle access control at a property. Using high-definition cameras, they will check all identification at the gate, ensure that the person’s face matches their ID, and only allow access to those who are on the authorized list. This eliminates situations where on-site guards are busy or distracted, so they don’t adequately check IDs. With live monitoring, only those who are legitimately authorized can enter the site.

Using on-site cameras, security agents can watch the entire property 24/7, so they can spot suspicious behavior wherever it happens. If criminals are working with staff to steal from the site, their actions will be noticed right away and agents can act to stop cargo theft before it happens.

How to Stop Cargo Theft and Break-Ins

Another type of cargo theft comes in the form of forced entry at truck yards, warehouses, factories, etc. In these situations, criminals use force or other criminal actions to get inside a property. In some cases, they climb over a fence to get inside. In others, they might try to smash a vehicle through the front gates in the middle of the night. There are many different ways that criminals can get in. The key is to stop them before they do.

Most break-and-enter criminals work fast. They want to get in and out of the property quickly, before they can be caught. Live remote monitoring tools can spot suspicious activity (such as someone lurking around outside the gates or tampering with a lock) and act immediately.

In such cases, agents can use two-way speakers to communicate with the site and to let criminals know they are being watched, that the property is secured by real-time monitoring, and that the police will be called if they do not leave the site immediately. These actions get the jump on criminals, ensuring that police are called before they can strike, which makes it much more likely that they’ll be caught in the act.

For more information on how live remote monitoring will stop cargo theft and keep your assets safe, please contact Birdseye Security Solutions today.