Security Issues for Confidential Cargo

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, cargo theft costs an estimated 15-30 billion dollars in the United States alone. For shippers who want to determine if their shipments will be safe, a good rule of thumb is that if you can package it, crate it, and ship it, there is a high likelihood that there exists a criminal enterprise who will try to steal it. For businesses who rely on just in time inventory, loss of freight can be a very worrying problem that can threaten profitability. By classifying your confidential cargo correctly, you may be able to prevent would-be thieves from getting their hands on your precious shipment. 

Your goods are more likely to be disturbed or stolen while in transit than at any other time. Theft is a common problem in the transportation industry due to roadway congestion, carriers at full carrying capacity, a shortage of qualified drivers, and the growth of cross docking in warehouses. If you are concerned your cargo may be at risk, here are a few things potential thieves look for.

• The attractiveness of the product, usually dependent on its street value.
• The type of banding, shrink wrap, tape or straps used to secure the load.
• The integrity of the cartons holding the product.
• The type of transportation carrier used: air, sea, rail, or truck.
• The skill level of the workforce at every nodal point of the route.

However there are several ways you can protect your cargo: through containment, identity, or through the visibility of tamper evidence. Containment largely involves making sure that your cartons and cases are fully secure, and not easily replaceable, generic boxes that can be quickly replaced to hide tampering. 

Identity means classifying your cargo as confidential before a major shipment. This means that dock workers and drivers will have no idea what is in the shipment or even the identiy of the shipper. This can also be helpful for businesses who want to ship products discretely in order to secure a competitive advantage by moving into a new market first.

Finally by integrating tamper resistant and tamper evident seals onto boxes, or using tamper evident tape and labels to secure cartons and documents.

For more information on how to protect your sensitive shipments and confidential cargo, contact www.shippgl.com today!