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General
Advice
Road Freight Crime is
a significant problem for the haulage and
logistics industry. Over 3,500 trucks were
reported stolen in 2004 and half were never
recovered. Professional criminals will
travel the length and breadth of the UK
target vehicles and their loads.
Stolen
vehicles cost operators in terms of disruption,
lost profits, loss of client faith and
potential loss of subsequent contracts.
Additional uninsured losses further add
to the misery of a stolen vehicle and for
smaller companies, the loss of a vehicle
and/or goods could spell financial ruin.
A stolen truck can be stripped in minutes.
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[Theives
In Action] |
There
is much that you can do to prevent thefts
and reduce the chance of being a victim of
crime. |
Key
points;
- Work with
your staff and be alert to the threat. Your
staff are a crucial element in reducing
crime. Make security awareness a part
of the working day and ensure that
your staff don't discuss information
about loads, routes and drivers on
the telephone. Criminals will call
transport offices and pretend to be
a customer to acquire specific information
about load movements. This information
is then used to steal from you. Don't
be fooled!
- Do not leave keys
in the ignition.
Nearly half of stolen vehicles are stolen
when keys are left in them. Make sure
your staff always lock the vehicle and
take the keys with them as a matter of
policy. It takes a few seconds for a
thief to drive your vehicle away and
if keys are left in the ignition, your
insurance may be invalidated . Click here to
see which vehicles are most commonly
stolen.
- Protect
your identity, including documents
and company issued clothing. Thieves
use shipping orders, consignment notes
and company paperwork along with high
visibility clothing to impersonate
your staff and collect loads. Ensure
that company clothing is handed back
in when staff leave.
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Further
comprehensive advice is available from the
following; |
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Click here to
access the Home Office Steer Clear of Truck
Theft security advice for drivers.
Click here to
access the International Road Transport Union
security guidelines. |
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Parking
Demand for secure LGV parking
within the UK is high. Vehicles parked in
lay-bys or isolated industrial estates are
regularly targeted by thieves so encourage
your drivers to plan their routes and use
secure parking as far as possible. Features
such as access control, CCTV, lighting, fencing
and the presence of security personnel have
all been shown to reduce the chances of becoming
a victim of crime by as much as 80%. Establish
accounts with larger parking operators to
remove the temptation for drivers to park
at insecure locations.
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The Park
Mark Safer Parking Scheme is an initiative
aimed at reducing crime and the fear of
crime in parking facilities. ‘Park Mark'
accreditation will only be given where
the area has been vetted by the police
and measures have been put in place to
create a safer environment. Click here to
search for secure parking.
For the latest government
parking proposals please see www.highways.gov.uk
For a list of IRU approved
parking sites, click here |
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Vulnerable
Loads
There are two categories
of vulnerable load;
Dangerous Loads: For further
information about the transportation of dangerous
goods by road, click here
High Value Loads: Please
contact TruckPol for advice on available
security measures to protect high value loads. |
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Diesel Theft
Diesel theft is a
significant problem for operators, generally
taking place overnight and at weekends
from vehicles parked in operators' yards.
Methods include siphoning from tanks and
theft from on-site bowsers or storage tanks.
Avoid parking vehicles with full fuel tanks on site overnight and at weekends
if possible.
Anti-siphoning security
products or additional physical security
to prevent unauthorised access to the filler
cap are also widely available and have proved
effective. |
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Drivers
Your
drivers are amongst your most important assets
and represent your company to your clients.
They are often responsible for valuable loads
out on the road and it is important that good
drivers are retained and bad or dishonest drivers
dealt with appropriately. Recent research suggests
that staff collusion is a significant factor
in crime against the industry and it is essential
that you vet drivers properly. Always check
references of new drivers and ensure that agency
drivers are only recruited from accredited employment
agencies. Always inspect driving
licences on a regular basis and consider
taking and retaining a photograph of new drivers
to deter thefts. Consider asking for a subject
access application or employing a vetting
company to carry out staff vetting procedures.
Click here for
advice on employing ex-offenders. |
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Advice
When Purchasing A Second-Hand Vehicle
Nearly half of all stolen trucks are never
recovered. A significant number are broken
into component parts which maybe used to
mask the identity of stolen or salvage vehicles.
Don't be fooled into buying a stolen truck.
For useful information on buying a used
vehicle click here .
For advice on how to reduce the risk of
buying a stolen vehicle click here .
For advice on vehicle cloning,
click here . |
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