Mike Maltezakis, G4S Academy Supply Chain Specialist, outlines the threats and the solutions that can be put in place to protect drivers and their goods in transit.

Security continues to be a major concern for those operating across supply chain and logistics. The Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA) recently produced its EMEA Cargo Theft Report for the 18- month period to June 2022. The results are a concern, with over 11,000 cargo crimes reported over the period, corresponding to over €126m of supply chain losses over the period.

The supply chain threat is real and here to stay. The 11,332 supply chain incidents across 18 months which were reported in the recent EMEA Cargo Theft Report represent the highest-ever total over an 18 month period – and there is no sign of this upward trend changing.

Thousands of organised crime groups (OCGs) are active in Europe. Many of these will have been responsible for the cargo thefts referenced in the TAPA report, particularly the very high value incidents where a degree of planning and organisation were required to enact the crime.

Yet the threat isn’t restricted to organised crime.

G4S World Security Report

G4S recently published its World Security Report, which anonymously and independently surveyed 1,775 chief security officers (CSOs), or those in equivalent roles, at large global companies. Nearly half of CSOs surveyed believe that economic unrest will be the biggest security-impacting hazard over the next 12 months. We see this across supply chains with a developing trend of more small-time, individual cargo crimes, driven by the well publicised ‘cost of living’ crisis and continued economic uncertainty.

Vehicles, of course, remain the prime focus for cargo thieves. Attacks on trucks accounted for nearly 90% of all cargo theft incidents in EMEA over the 18 month period and remain a critical area of focus. The modus operandi of criminals changes over time, however, with most attacks on vehicles giving the driver little time to respond, security awareness and support for drivers remains absolutely key.

That said, in Europe, we have seen a number of incidents where gangs of thieves have driven up close to the backs of lorries, gained access to the trailer, ‘surfed’ into it and then stolen the goods without the driver even being aware.

In the UK, deception is used more, with criminals stopping lorries by posing as police or Vehicle and Operator Services Agency personnel. Sometimes they present themselves as being from the delivery depot, appearing in staff uniforms or high visibility jackets and trying to divert the delivery in what is known as a ‘round the corner theft.’ They often use excuses such as a flooded warehouse, a broken forklift, or long queues ahead. Once the driver has parked up, the vehicle is an easy target.

A delivery vehicle is at its most vulnerable when it is stationary or parked, especially if it is not in an official secured parking lot. Although routes are planned to try and avoid such risks, sometimes due to delays or non-compliance, drivers may find themselves in a non-secure area. In such instances the vehicle is vulnerable to thieves who have time to gain entry and steal cargo or otherwise compromise the load. Likewise, illegal immigrants wishing to make their way to the UK will use any opportunity to gain access in such areas.

Although the methods of attack for cargo theft are getting more sophisticated, so too are the solutions. These include incorporating telematics to monitor vehicles and assets using GPS technology, remote immobilisers, sensors, as well as on-board diagnostics and CCTV.

For those operating with large fleets, the priority will always be to prevent putting staff in danger and to meet the employer duty of care. It’s important that drivers feel safe and supported. Therefore it is critical that, when an incident occurs, a suitable system or process is in place. Only by retaining a real time connection with the vehicle in transit can a timely intervention be organised.

Increasingly, many of the emerging security technologies are addressing the need to operate in a connected fashion by transferring real time information to a Security Operations Centre (SoC). The SoC is then empowered to monitor and support, make timely decisions and co-ordinate an appropriate response when it is needed most. As important as the technology is, the way that any response is handled is absolutely critical and this will only be effective if adequate resources and suitable processes are in place. This sounds obvious but can be particularly challenging for those that operate cross border.    

One such programme is G4S’  ‘Connected Lock’ initiative. The Connected Lock is a GPS & 4G enabled and IP67-rated intelligent mobile access control device, supplied with management software and optional remote monitoring services. The device is attached to the lorry via a heavy-duty magnet which allows it to be securely attached to the trailer door.

Supplied with a long lasting 15,000 mAh rechargeable battery, the lock is supplied ready for up to 45 days of intensive use. The lock is supplied inclusive of GPS to allow location monitoring via a customer or third party Security Operations Centre (SoC) and an accelerometer to monitor movement. Users have the option to track their fleet in close to real time via one-minute updates when the vehicle is moving.

Access to the lorry is secure. The locks are supplied with registered RFID cards (up to five hundred cards per unit) associated to nominated individuals and access can even be set to only allow opening via remote command. The system provides clear authorisation levels for those with the necessary clearance levels to provide access to the trailer and transfers data providing sight of each event: which user completed the unlock, when, where and the duration of the unlock.

Using the feed provided by the connected lock, a monitoring platform provides a real-time overview of the current location and status of the fleet and a quick view of today’s trip and unlocks. Continually capturing data, a live dashboard with parameterisable views monitors fleet performance and the platform provides a dynamic estimation of transport costs and emissions per trip to support expenditure management and environmental responsibility planning. Risks can be managed with the driver by sharing no-go-zones, preventing unnecessary delays in transit and avoiding high risk areas.

The platform represents a great way of building confidence in fleet drivers and meeting the duty of care to provide a safe environment in which the drivers can operate. Drivers can feel safe in the knowledge that their cargo is secure and that their movements are being monitored.

For management, the system provides a detailed real time overview of the location and status of the vehicle fleet and a simple overview of each vehicle’s unlocks. This helps monitor unusual or suspicious behaviour. And with sustainability key, a detailed report provides a dynamic estimate of emissions per trip to allow real time, corrective action and eliminate waste.

With attacks on trucks accounting for nearly 90% of all cargo theft incidents, supply chain security focus needs to go far beyond the warehouse and distribution centre. With this in mind, connected security programmes which monitor goods in transit from a security operations centre are here to stay.

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