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Member, Beacon International Group, Ltd.
Driver training can go a long way in deterring theft or recovering a load quickly if it is stolen, says Richard Kirk, vp of CargoNet, a Jersey City, N.J.-based division of the Insurance Services Office Inc.'s crime analytics unit.
“Driver selection is very critical,” said Barry Tarnef, assistant vp and senior risk specialist, loss control services, at Chubb Group of Insurance Cos. in Warren, N.J. “If you have a competent, honest, hardworking truck driver, you have a better chance of the cargo getting to the destination safely.”
Trucking companies should provide the driver with information on the tractor and trailer and license plate number. Providing that quickly to authorities can make the difference between recovering and losing a load, Mr. Kirk said.
GPS devices should be embedded into cargo—”not in the trailer,” Mr. Kirk advised. “Thieves will take the cargo off and load it into another trailer.”
In addition, it's best to keep trailers on the road as much as possible, Mr. Tarnef said. “There's the old maxim: Cargo at rest is cargo at risk.”