An important step towards beating truck crime
Page 13
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
CHRISTMAS IS regarded as the season of goodwill, but the weeks leading up to the holiday period present opportunities for individuals to whom those in the freight industry should extend no goodwill whatsoever.
It is estimated that as much as 85% of all cargo crime happens on the road, accounting for £10bn in losses around the world each year, £250m in the UK alone.
Theft of this nature is far from a ‘victimless crime’ but affects manufacturers, hauliers, insurers and drivers who, sadly, are often threatened by the criminals involved.
As our industry has become more organised, so too have the criminals. They recognise the value of theft, particularly at this time of year, when higher than normal volumes of expensive consumer products are in circulation.
Such crimes are hardly ever opportunistic, but the result of preparation and intelligence.
This coming New Year will see an important step with the introduction of new TAPA (Transported Asset Protection Association) standards designed to reduce the potential for crime on the roads.
TAPA’s Truck Security Requirements are voluntary but may come to be seen as welcome additional certiication for manufacturers and retailers of high-value goods.
They will cover the aspects of communication, hardware and route-planning which Nightline and other freight irms have recognised as essential to protect our employees and the integrity of our cargo. They also provide further illustration of how collaboration between clients and logistics irms is important in tackling crime effectively.
Greater co-ordination with law enforcement is another signiicant part of the equation.
John Tuohy CEO, Nightline