Without the effective transportation of freight around the country (and the world, for that matter), all kinds of economies would simply grind to a halt. It is as simple as that. From the parcel in the FedEx van to the massive Hamburg Süd shipping container making its way across the Atlantic Ocean, trade is facilitated by freight. And this has been the case for the entirety of the modern era.
Given the importance of freight transport in every corner of the globe, it’s no surprise that security concerns have, for a very long time, driven technological innovation. And freight security is, without putting too fine a point on it, essential for the global economy.
What is Freight Security?
It is worth considering in more detail what freight security involves, and the best way to do that is to consider what it is actually designed to secure the freight against. Theft, in nearly all cases, is indeed a major concern, but it’s not the only one.
Rollercam, a company providing tie-down straps for vehicle cargo, say that their expertise well encapsulates the other side of freight security – security against damage. Thieves are, of course, an issue, but so is that pothole on the road which your moving van drives over at just the right speed to smash a couple of mirrors stored in the back.
Tips for Freight Security
As already mentioned, freight can really be anything at all as long as it is a physical item being transported somewhere for commercial purposes. This means ships, planes, trains, and trucks: all is freight. Accordingly, when offering up some tips about how best to keep your freight secure, we must stick to the general side. Nevertheless, the intersection of top security technology and highly developed security practices is evident even at this general level. Here follows then some of the most important things to keep in mind when you are organizing security for whatever it is you want to transport.
Make Use of Blocking
When your mode of transport has its cargo space entirely full, then you may need to deal with weight issues, but you won’t have to worry about your cargo moving around and potentially getting damaged. If there is any empty space, on the other hand, then this is a serious concern. Blocking is a means of doing something about this. By making use of wedges, chocks, wood bracing, and walls, you can stop cargo siding about the length and width of the cargo space.
Use Full Truckload (FTL) Shipping
This useful arrangement is specifically for those freight loads not suffering from the problem outlined in the previous tip. When you have enough freight to fill a truck, you can be sure that after loading it will not be touched again until it reaches its destination. This is a definite security plus.
Create a Layered Cargo Security System
A layered cargo security system is a system that accounts for all the ways thieves can target freight. Thieves today use cyber-attacks, deceit and, of course, physical break-ins in order to steal freight. Therefore, your response should be similarly detailed. Have high-tech software tracking every stage of the journey for everything you are shipping but be sure to have physical security features in place too. A high-tech tracking system and a sturdy big lock should be working together. Exclude neither.
Freight security – from either damage or theft – is simply never going to stop being a major issue and thus this is a field that we can expect to continue to develop until we finally invent a teleport machine. Forget science fiction for now though, just secure your freight.