Best Ways to Stop a Cargo Truck Theft

Tips for Preventing Truck Theft

Unfortunately, cargo trucks are common targets for criminals. They know that they can quickly get valuable assets that they can sell on the black market by striking a cargo truck. These crimes are quite common and truck theft costs businesses across North America billions of dollars each year.

How to Stop Cargo Truck Theft

Making this problem even worse is that many of the items that are stolen from cargo trucks are not recovered. In many cases, the crimes are not noticed right away, and that gives criminals a chance to escape before anyone is aware of the situation.

In addition, many truck theft situations occur in different states or different jurisdictions, and it can sometimes be difficult for the authorities to know where the crime happened and/or which agency should investigate.

An additional issue is that truck theft criminals usually sell the items that they steal very quickly. These items then often pass through several hands before winding up at the end consumer. That makes it tough to track the stolen goods and even tougher to recover them.

Since it’s so difficult to recover stolen cargo, it makes sense that businesses should do as much as they can to prevent items from being stolen in the first place. Here are some ways that truck theft can be prevented.

Be Aware

Drivers should always be aware of the possibility of truck theft. If you operate a trucking company or manage drivers in any capacity, it’s a good idea to investigate truck theft hot spots and create a method for informing your drivers of the risks associated with their route.

If there are any areas where truck theft is common, pass this information on and help the drivers plan alternate routes or choose different points to rest, refuel, etc. That can help reduce the chances of being a victim of a crime.

Be Visible

Whenever trucks are parked, there’s an opportunity for cargo thieves. Let drivers know that, whenever they park and leave their vehicles, they should leave them in a visible area. Criminals do not want to be caught committing crimes, so they prefer to strike where they will not be seen.

By leaving trucks in highly visible areas – preferably where the driver can see them while they’re getting a meal, etc. – they are kept safer and more secure.

Take Precautions

In addition to being aware of the risks and parking in safer locations, there are many other things that drivers and trucking companies can do to reduce the risk of truck theft. One solution is to always ensure that vehicles have enough fuel when they leave the lot.

This will allow the driver to travel a considerable distance before stopping to get gas, which means that criminals who try to follow drivers out of the lot will need to spend a lot of time tailing them before they stop. This will cut down on the chances of a crime.

Drivers should always be sure that they’re not leaving the keys to their truck in the ignition or the vehicle when they’re parked. Criminals watch for this and strike vulnerable trucks.

Protect the Yard

As mentioned, criminals often strike when trucks are parked. This means that truck yards, warehouse lots, and other such locations are common targets. Therefore, it’s important to secure these properties. Live remote monitoring options provide proactive and comprehensive security.

Unlike alarm systems or other similar tools, live monitoring agents can spot suspicious situations as they happen and stop the people involved before they can commit a crime.  

Live agents can also handle access control duties, ensuring that only legitimate authorized people can enter the site. Criminals often try to use fake identity cards or other deceptive practices to enter a truck yard.

Capabilities
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24/7/365 Surveillance - Full Yard | Perimeter | Gates
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Access Control - Gate & Doors operations (Check - ID, Validate Authorization)
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Operational information Capture - Truck & Trailer # | Inventory # | Seal # | BOLs
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Incident notifications - Trespassing | Suspicious Behaviour | Damage | Miscounduct | Policy Violations
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Policy Enforcement - PPE | Speeding | Parking | Security Protrocol | Pre & Post - Trip Inspection
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Real Time Reporting - Dispatch & Arrival | Parking Assignment | Security & Safety Incidents
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Benefits
 
 
 
Operational Budget Savings - Lower monthly cost than onsite Security Guards
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No Capital Costs - Equipment cost (install, service, repairs, upgrades) amortized over life of contract
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Eliminate “Hidden” Costs - Agents trained to prevent incidents and eliminate negative outcomes
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Operational Improvements - Accelerate gate transactions, reduce errors, improve yard efficiency
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Real-time intelligence - Integration with yard Management System delivers real-time data visibility
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Live remote agents will verify IDs when someone arrives at the gate, check to confirm that the person’s face matches their card, and only allow access to those who are on the authorized list.

For more information on live remote monitoring systems and how these tools provide 24/7 protection at truck yards, warehouses, factories, and other such locations, please #book today. With years of experience in protecting people and property, we’re the right choice to stop cargo truck theft at your business.