Ever since goods were moved by commercial rigs, one of the biggest fears for the driver is theft.
When the driver signs for the load, it is basically his or hers. It’s theirs to care for. To move from point to point. They virtually own that load, and will continue to own it, until the receiver at the end of the trip signs the delivery slip.
If something happens between point A and delivery point B, then it is up to the driver, the cops and the insurance folks to settle. Never a happy time for the driver.
Cargo theft can be defined in many forms.
The shipper can write down he loaded “x” number of bags or boxes, when in fact, he put quite a few less. If the driver was not doing a backup count as it was loaded, and he or she signs the paperwork as presented by the shipper, the driver is guilty. Cops and insurance folks will suspect him of maybe selling it on the side to supplement his wages.
Hard to prove guilt or innocence, but today, the GPS can show if the driver did not stop at some weird, remote, unscheduled location to off-load.
Another form of cargo theft happens, and very often happens, at the end of a trip.
The driver needs to be present when the load is taken off and counted. Often, receivers are not very good with figures, and write down the wrong number of items off-loaded. Again, the driver is responsible for the shortage, and is expected to pay out of pocket, or leaves it to their employer, the cops and insurance folks to sort out.
Later that day, the receiver, and/or his friends, load the “missing” product, and pocket the cash. The only loser in that exchange is the driver. Hard to prove. Hard not to.
Some companies are getting mad as hell and trying to do something about cargo theft.
The first thing is driver re-education. Telling their drivers to listen to their gut. Watch your mirrors. See if you are being followed. Take an off-ramp or rest area exit, then drive right back onto the highway to see if the suspected vehicle does the same. If so, the rig driver has a potential theft situation about to go down.
I was taught, many years ago, never take a smoke or filter break near the Canada/USA border. Why? That’s where “slime balls” hang out, waiting for a chance to quickly slide under the rig, attach a package of drugs, then follow the rig to it’s first stop on the other side of the border to retrieve the drugs. If the driver is found to be transporting the drugs, he takes the fall.
The slime balls are nowhere to be found. No matter what they say, drivers are always guilty. Hard to prove innocence with the product in the officer’s hands.
Parking offers another good theft possibility. Just because the trailer/container has a seal on the rear door doesn’t mean anything to an experienced thief.
A six-year old can operate bolt cutters that go through high security seals like a hot knife through butter.
Unless the unit is parked up against a wall, or backed into another flat surface, the only way the thief can get to the inside cargo is to get a rig and pull the unit out. That takes time, and attracts too much attention, but it does occur.
Cargo theft is a big industry worry and will always be a big worry. It costs the trucking firms, the drivers, shippers, receivers, and insurance companies, a lot of money.
Worst of all, it has, and will continue to cost unsuspecting and poorly trained drivers their job and their very livelihood.
Nobody wants to hire a driver who was fired for cargo theft. That is something we can all take to the bank.
I could fill a newspaper with stories about life on the road, but why not share yours with readers? Send them to Driving editor Andrew McCredie at amccredie@sunprovince.com.
