In the second quarter of 2017, a total of $17.2 million in cargo was reported stolen from the United States and Canada. Food and beverage items were the most commonly stolen products followed by household goods or major appliances.
While these numbers are down from last year’s second quarter, they are still high. High loss numbers can leave those working with shipping and logistics companies feeling concerned given that cargo crime costs United States businesses billions of dollars per year. But, at TOC we manage more than 1,000 suppliers across the globe and know a little something about keeping cargo safe. Our processes and procedures are put in place in order to mitigate risk and give our clients peace of mind. To make sure our shipments get safely from point A to point B, we implement the following items into our supply chain management capabilities.
Screen Employees
Employees are the heart of every company but some cargo experts maintain that a high percentage of thefts involve information received from inside a company. In such a high-risk, high-dollar industry, a recommendation from a friend shouldn’t be enough to secure someone’s employment. Prospective employees should be screened thoroughly and extensive background checks should be performed before adding someone new to a team.
Screen Prospective Partners
Trusting everyone we will be working with means looking past employees and onto prospective partners. We carefully select our transportation partners and intermediaries because they will have care and custody over goods for a large part of the shipping journey. It’s a good idea to not only look at the company’s overall reputation but at their employees as well. How do they screen their employees? What security features do they use and are shipments trackable throughout the entire process?
Preach Security
Security should is a part of our company culture, language, and way of life. We have carefully outlined and communicated security procedures that are a part of new employee training, and employees are constantly tested on their knowledge of these procedures. They are well-versed in all protocol relating to safety, emergencies, and procedures. We also leverage the regulatory protocols of the C-TPAT certifications and work with partners who are also C-TPAT compliant.
17 Point Inspection
As a part of the C-TPAT certification, all compliant companies must adhere to a strict 7/17 point inspection. This process guarantees that all cargo undergoes a 7 point container inspection and the vehicle undergoes a 17 point inspection. Each inspection has a checklist to verify the cargo and vehicle are properly inspected. The safer the cargo and vehicle are, the harder it is to lose cargo to theft.
As a leader in international transportation, logistics, maritime, and shipping, TOC International Logistics’ has developed strict processes to ensure cargo gets to its destination on time and safely. For information on our processes, visit our website.