Strength in numbers
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Freight crime is a major threat to road transport, so what can you do to cut the risk of your trucks or drivers becoming victim to the criminal. element? CM has a few suggestions...
Words: Joanna BourkE
Last year:IilickPol recorded 3,288 freight crimes — a 12% fall when compared with the 4.171 in 2008, but deeper study into the report reveals the number of thefts from lorries actually rose by 7% to 1,103 (CM 18 March).
Taking into account that there are other crimes in the sector to consider, such as vandalism or people smuggling/ trafficking, which are not reported to TruckPol, its fair to say that freight crime is extremely problematic for the truck industry. Moreover, with economic conditions still difficult, the last thing any firm wants to deal with is a stolen lorry or heing forced to wait for an insurance company to pay out.
So what's on the market to help protect your business from crime and what are some companies doing to fight back against the criminal world?
Truckwatch schemes
The North Eastern Regional Truekwatch is currently chaired by Tony Allen, DHL regional security manager. It's a scheme in which 160 registered users have access to a police data bank that sends text messages to drivers detailing any freight crimes in the region, major traffic incidents and Felixstowe Operation Stack updates as they
occur. Similar schemes are rolling out across the country.
Allen says: "I am retiring from DH L this year, but will remain on the Truckwatch board because I believe it's an invaluable service that helps to cut fear about truck crime by educating and warning drivers about it.
-However, it is not something everyone wants to get involved in promoting, so I urn not willing to let its progress slow down.
He is aiming to increase membership (which is free) by visiting truckstops and service stations to promote the service.
Training While investing in physical security to protect your business can't be a bad idea, perhaps starting with educating staff and not ploughing into purchases before you have conducted proper assessments is the way forward, says Kenneth Day, director of Essex-based security consultancy Richmond Day & Wilson.
The company investigates how innovative criminals look to bypass and exploit the vulnerabilities within a company, based on looking at the mistakes of others.
Day comments: "Electronic solutions, high fences and a security officer are not necessarily the answer to the industry's security issues. How many within the industry know how and when hijacks are most likely to occur? How many transport managers know the social engineering techniques that may trick their personnel? Knowledge is a preventive measure available to all, if you know where to find it, or who to ask."
Hautnet The journey planning company sends out mails to 78 registered hauliers and 1,298 companies including retailers, offering information on UK freight crimes and any trends or patterns operators should be cautious of as well as reviewing truckstops.
Next in the pipeline the firm is trying to create an online booking system to buy places in advance at a number of UK lorry parks.
"This would allow operators to see if a driver has not turned up on time to a truckstop. which could raise the alarm to suggest something had may have happened.The service would also act as an incentive for truckers to avoi lay-bys for overnight parking because they know they ha somewhere safe to rest which is already paid for," claims Howard Smith, Haulm director. •