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Cargo Theft - Tips to Reduce Your Risk
Believe it or not, cargo theft is a multi-billion dollar problem every year for shippers and carriers. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, that number also continues to grow. Thieves are drawn to the fact that trucks and warehouses can contain very expensive goods, producing high returns for fairly low-risk operations. Buyers always exist for these goods because people rarely ask questions when receiving a highly profitable deal. In addition, the ability to sell items over the internet allows for speedy transactions, concealed identities, and unsubstantiated information regarding the origin of the goods.
So what should you be doing to help prevent your valuable cargo from getting stolen? IndustryWeek recommends that shippers take the time to inform drivers of the valuable nature of the goods so they can respond with adequate precautions and appropriate security.
Typically, thieves will follow a departing truck that is loaded with goods and strike when the driver pulls over at a rest stop. A company that specializes in cargo theft recovery recently reported that California, Texas, and New Jersey were the top three states in 2016 
where this type of activity occurred. By informing the driver of this information, they will hopefully consider not stopping in these states if possible, take extra caution about where they are parking, and keep an eye on their truck when leaving it unattended.
It is also recommended that shippers take advantage of technology. High-tech security seals and systems can alert you by phone or sound an alarm when an intruder has entered the premises or unlocked a trailer. This can be very useful because once that truck has left your facility, there is little that can be done by you regarding the control of your goods. Even the sight of this kind of system can discourage a thief from attempting to rob a truck since their chances of getting caught significantly increase. Another useful technology is trackers, which can be attached and hidden in your cargo to assist with locating the goods and providing valuable evidence to authorities.
While this technology is not always cheap, innovation is helping drive costs down and making it more affordable for consumers. An investment in such technology will pay off if it means it will prevent or severely reduce the likelihood of having your goods stolen.
Oliver Barratt
(Photo courtesy of www.truckersnews.com)
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Allyn International is dedicated to providing high quality, customer centric services and solutions for the global marketplace. Allyn's core products include transportation management, logistics sourcing, freight forwarding, supply chain consulting, tax management and global trade compliance. Allyn clients range from small local businesses to Fortune 500 firms. Allyn conducts business in more than 20 languages and has extensive experience in both developed and emerging markets. Highly trained experts are positioned throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Allyn’s regional headquarters are strategically located in Fort Myers, Florida, U.S.A, Shanghai, P.R. China and Prague, Czech Republic. For more information, visit www.allynintl.com.