THELASTMILE Logistics Outside the Box
From freight trains and trucks, from warehouses to parking lots to consumers’ porches, the conveyances and touchpoints of the supply chain present opportunities for thieves to pilfer and plunder cargo. Here’s what to watch out for: Stop Thief! Cargo Theft Terms and Tricks
Straight theft More opportunistic than strategic, this involves pilfering cargo from a location such as a truck stop, warehouse, distribution center, or retail location. The loot could be a partial load or truckload. Strategic theft Targeting cargo via online schemes and fake identities. Thieves engage in more sophisticated methods such as identity theft, misdirection, and fictitious pickups to pose as carriers and fraudulently receive and take truckloads of cargo. Fictitious pickup A strategic theft strategy where thieves pretend to be a legitimate carrier and show up before a scheduled pickup to appropriate entire truckloads of cargo. Red zone Recognizing cargo at rest is cargo at risk, observing a red zone means taking care of truck drivers so they can traverse 200+ miles before making a stop, thereby discouraging cargo thieves who tend to follow trucks for 20 to 30 miles. In short, making sure drivers are fueled, fed, and rested right before picking up freight. Friday freight Loads brokered late on Friday afternoon. Cargo thieves are on the lookout for these transactions to take advantage of any rushed processing errors or less- than-careful carrier vetting that can happen when the weekend beckons. Porch piracy Last-mile straight theft where thieves swipe goods from the final destination on its direct-to-consumer journey. Amazon ouroboros Goods stolen off Amazon containers are then sold on Amazon via third parties in a self-perpetuating cycle.
Most cargo thefts occur near: ● Warehouses and distribution centers ● Unsecured parking lots ● Company truck yards and premises Sources: Overhaul and CargoNet
Sources: Travelers; CargoNet; Overhaul
56 Inbound Logistics • February 2024
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