Finding the Achilles’ heel: 5 tips to minimize security threats to your cargo

July 24, 2024

Achilles was an ancient Greek warrior famous for being almost invulnerable. His mother dipped him in a magic river holding him only by his heel, which became the only part of him that wasn’t protected. When it comes to building out the security of your cargo, it’s important to think carefully about your weak spots and not to get lulled by a sense of invulnerability. If you can find the Achilles heel in your security procedures, you’ve got a better chance of not getting wounded by the enemy. So where should you look?

At the management level, you’ve covered cybersecurity, employee background checks, reporting protocols and more in your policies and procedures. But how do your drivers figure out the weak spot in the armor? Have you given them a plan for keeping them and their cargo safe? The best way to find the ‘soft spot’ is to break their work down into its separate components—in this case, the 5 different security contexts of a trip: at the terminal, just before the trip, on the road, during a stop and coming in for delivery. Your drivers might be quite strong in a lot of these areas, but just one weak spot can be the only opening the bad guys need. Here’s a way to audit your ‘armor’:

• At the terminal
  Your facility already has a lot of safeguards, but there are a couple of things to watch out for as you are moving around the terminal. Drivers should watch out for outsiders trying to gain access to cargo areas, but also watch for internal threats—people who actually work there, but are not authorized to be in sensitive sections of the building. They should verify that secure areas stay locked (with proper training on the security procedures for keys), and they should also feel empowered to escort unidentified visitors to reception and report any damaged or non-functioning security elements like locks, fences or lights.
• Before the trip
  Part of a pre-trip inspection should include looking out for obvious tampering, either with the cargo, the security seal, or with the vehicle itself. Remind drivers that they should check that the shipping papers match what was loaded onto the vehicle and that all packaging is marked and labelled properly. It’s also a good idea to check for new screws or bolts, fresh paint or fibreglass patchwork, or other signs that part of the vehicle may have been altered. These are sometimes indications that someone is trying to hide contraband.
• On the road
  Without the added protection of the terminal, the cargo is more vulnerable on the road, but there are steps drivers can take to lower the risk here, too. Minimizing the number of stops will reduce the chances that thieves and hijackers will make a move (you may even have a no-stop policy for some high-value loads). Stopping to help stranded motorists might feel like the right thing to do, but drivers should be aware that things aren’t always what they seem. They should alert the authorities when they see someone in need of assistance, and you should make sure that your drivers understand the carrier’s policies about stopping to help. Encourage them to communicate with their supervisor regularly throughout a trip about significant delays, traffic and re-routing.
• During a stop
  When taking a break, cargo can be kept safer by parking the truck in a designated truck parking area with good lighting and where drivers can keep an eye on the vehicle. You may even want to give them a list of facilities with video surveillance for added security. If possible, they should park a loaded trailer against a wall, fence, or other fixed object to enhance the safety of their cargo. Before leaving the truck, have them take a moment to survey the area and familiarize yourself with the surroundings. And of course, they should follow standard safety procedures, such as keeping the keys with them, turning off the engine, locking the doors, and only unlocking the truck for a minimal amount of time when necessary.
• The delivery
  When arriving at the customer’s location, it may seem like the risks are lower (they’re back in a secured facility, after all). But there are still some things to watch out for. Drivers should take a moment to assess the safety of the loading docks or warehouse before unloading—avoid unloading in poorly lit areas or on public sidewalks. When it comes to meeting the actual receiver, they should always ask for identification (and be on the lookout for any suspicious individuals hanging around during unloading). Even more important, underscore the importance of telling the dispatcher about any last-minute changes to the delivery destination or friendly requests to move some trailers around ‘as a favor’.

Unlike Achilles, no one is a one-person army when it comes to keeping cargo safe, and no one needs to be. The driver is just one part of a whole team of dispatchers, managers, authorities and other honest players who want shipments to go safely and smoothly. But for that whole team to function well, each person needs to make sure their part of the ‘armor’ is intact. Getting your drivers to follow these tips and the best practices described in your policies and procedures will go a long way to make sure your cargo and your people stay safe.