Happy November! We are officially cruising through the Holiday season and while we may be
excited for Thanksgiving and Christmas it’s important for truckers to realize that black Friday and a major retail boom is also on its way.
That means you may be hauling cargo that’s more enticing to thieves, so be sure to take measures to protect yourself from theft. But there’s no need to feel paranoid, it’s easy to increase your security by taking a few precautions.
How To Protect Your Cargo
1. Always Be Aware
No matter what you’re hauling, someone might want to take it. From a shipment of laptops to Q-Tips, if a thief thinks they can take it and sell it, then they will. Heck, sometimes they may just even want your truck.
Keep your wits about you and study your surroundings at all times, no matter what day it is or what time it is. Even though the highest rates of cargo theft happen on weekend nights, they can occur at any time, even in broad daylight.
If someone seems sketchy to you take note of what they look like and what they are wearing so you can accurately describe them to the police should you need to.
Remember that someone could be listening to you, so keep what you’re hauling to yourself. Never post it on social media for the world to see.
2. Put Yourself In Safe Surroundings
When you park your truck pick a well-populated area, and at night make sure you’re under lights. If you can, always be sure to park in range of security cameras. You can also back up against a wall or surface to block your trailer doors when you stop. Just be sure to back up extremely carefully to prevent damage.
If you aren’t sure if your terminal will have proper lighting, locked fencing, or security after hours you can call ahead and ask. If their security isn’t up to your standards then make arrangements to park in a safer location.
3. Plan Ahead
Think about your moves before you make them. Never just leave your truck unattended and idling, because that gives people more than enough time to jump in it and speed off. Keep your truck locked at all times, no matter if you’re inside or outside of it.
Also, make sure the padlocks on your trailer doors are secure and look into purchasing vehicle locks like king pin locks, air brake valve locks, glad hand locks, or seals.
Try to minimize the time that your trailer will be sitting full of cargo. Try to make your delivery by the weekend. Make sure that your cargo will never sit in your lot for 24 hours because that gives a lot of thieves time to make a plan of action.
Check your route in advance to make sure it isn’t taking you through a bad part of town. Google maps is a good tool to use and look at
4. Hire The Right Team And Educate Them
Make sure you run background checks on your drivers, don’t just hire anyone. Then educate them on how to protect themselves and cargo to create a safety. For example, explain how it’s best to fill up before you pick up cargo to prevent thieves from following them for hours.
Be sure to track your drivers by placing GPS units on their rig or trailers. This way you will be aware of their location at all times and will be able to track the location of the vehicles if they are stolen.
Stay Safe
Rates of cargo theft increase during the holiday season but the risk actually occurs all year. People like to take whatever they can get their hands on, even if it seems boring and invaluable to you. You can keep your cargo safe by keeping your wits about you, making secure decisions in advance, and by staying in safe locations.
If you have any security tips please add them to the comment section below and visit ExpressTruckTax for more trucking blogs.