Whether you’re a manufacturer producing goods in Mexico or a retailer sourcing products and shipping from distribution sites south of the border, you face an age-old challenge: cargo theft. Just as trains carrying payroll shipments were targets for robbers in the American West of the 1800s, trucks transporting goods from Mexico to the U.S. are targets for modern-day bandits.
Certainly, Mexico offers a host of exciting reasons to source or manufacture products there: lower transportation costs, less complex supply chains, and a shorter distance to market, which enables companies to hold less inventory. Add to that Mexico’s skilled, experienced workforce – including managers with years of experience exporting to the U.S. For these reasons and more, the volume of goods crossing the border in both directions is growing every year.
However, there’s a catch. In spite of all the very real advantages, Mexico also poses serious challenges to foreign companies using Mexican sites for production or distribution. Chief among them? Theft and smuggling. Cargo theft affects all modes of transit at an estimated cost of $15 to $30 billion annually. As a result, maintaining secure custody of freight as it moves through the supply chain is one of the biggest challenges facing retail supply chain managers today.
What’s more, the farther you go into the interior, the longer loads are traveling through Mexico – and the more opportunity for problems. The same goes for long wait times at customs. On average, one in 300 shipments traveling into or out of Mexico is subject to some sort of security breach.
Sometimes, thieves steal items or hijack entire loads. In other cases, smugglers hide drugs or contraband, including illegal immigrants, on trailers, hoping to sneak them across the border. Shipments become vulnerable at many points, including truck stops, which tend to be less secure than their U.S. counterparts.
As cross-border shipping increases, the need for added precautions when transporting cargo has grown in lockstep. Today, the best line of defense is a security program that’s well planned and blends technology with robust security procedures and proactive security protocols.
Here are seven practices that can help you head security threats off at the pass.
Seven Best Practices for Preventing Cargo Theft When Crossing the Border:
- Be alert:
- Be responsive:
- Manage information:
- Know your supply chain:
- Execute Best Safety Practices:
- Screen and train employees:
- Be active:
Pay attention to surveillance being conducted on your facility’s operation. Red flags include vehicles parked outside the facility, individuals with cameras, or unauthorized personnel.
Respond to every alarm and report suspicious activity and/or theft immediately, either to management or law enforcement officials. Criminals can move stolen goods quickly. Fast response can help stop them in their tracks.
Don’t share information on cargo or operations with anyone except those involved. Limit load information to parties who need to know and no one else.
Get familiar with the carriers who transport your goods, the drivers who pick up cargo, delivery routes and schedules. Monitor the security of all supply chain partners.
Keep trucks locked and parked in well-lit areas. Make sure alarm systems function properly. Review security processes on a routine basis.
Cargo theft is often an inside job. Rigorous pre-employment screenings are a must.
Join/participate in groups like the International Cargo Security Council, Customs Trade partnership against terrorism (C-TPAT) and more to stay abreast of latest developments.
Don’t have the resources to keep cargo secure as you move it back and forth across the border? By working with an experienced partner, preferably C-TPAT certified, you’re assured that your goods with be transported safely and securely throughout North America.
To learn more about how you can ensure cross-border safety moving goods to and from Mexico, read our white paper on preventing cargo theft.
