Building a Geofence Around High-Value Shipments

What if strategic data is the means for you to prevent cargo theft?

Organized crime groups are selective when considering the theft of high-value, over-the-road shipments. It's unsurprising, then, that food and beverages are among the most targeted commodities, with an average shipment value of $150,711.

What is surprising is that these same criminals are using more strategic, sophisticated tactics. They go as far as assuming the identities of motor carriers and logistics brokers in order to steal shipments right out from under the noses of cargo owners or approved carriers. And with shipment thefts increasing exponentially year over year and occurring most often in a specific set of locales, preventing organized attacks is a critical effort requiring advanced tools and technology.

What's a pragmatic, reliable, and precise theft prevention program? According to experts, you should begin with a live shipment tracking infrastructure that gives you increased visibility into the locations of your most-valuable shipments. But to combat sophisticated theft tactics you'll need location-specific prevention: a targeted geofence strategy in regions and states where loss is the most likely to happen.

What are geofences?

Geofences are virtual geographic boundaries. Your desired coordinates are defined using a cargo tracking infrastructure and global mobile communications. Location tracking devices equipped with SIM cards are placed on a shipping container or trailer. Each device has a unique identifier that's loaded into cloud-based software and tracked via a live interactive map.

How can geofenced tracking devices prevent cargo theft?

You should pick tracking devices with the most relevant sensing and alerting capabilities based on the type of products you're shipping (i.e., perishable vs. non-perishable). For example:

• Light: To detect when shipper/container doors are opened. If this happens in an unexpected location, a light alert might be your first defense against impending theft.
• Temperature: An immediate change in temperature can indicate cargo tampering.
• Relative humidity (RH): Spikes in RH can also indicate unauthorized cargo access.

When a shipment enters or exits a geofence, the device sends notifications to assigned stakeholders. You'll receive real-time location and condition updates while the cargo is under monitoring. By tracking the movement of your cargo and receiving notice of any suspicious changes, including unplanned stops, route changes or unauthorized container access, you'll be able to investigate or act quickly:

1. By contacting the driver or carrier company.
2. By notifying police or local authorities of a suspected or anticipated theft.

The strategic combination of geofencing and tracking devices

What if thieves are aware of tracking devices and counteract them? Tracking devices that are destroyed or disrupted using jamming devices are still viable protection. If a tracking device stops sending a signal within a geofence, theft prevention teams can immediately be on notice of the potential for a theft in-progress.

What about the need for more-immediate reporting when shipments are in high-risk zones? Copeland's Oversight cargo software and tracking devices take this into account by offering additional configuration capabilities. Oversight can shorten the reporting interval on the shipment's tracker to increase the frequency of communication with cell towers. You'll get more precise updates on the location of your high-value shipments for the sake of immediate response.

Strengthening your theft deterrent capabilities might seem complicated at first glance, but matching the risks with strategic technology is simple with the right partner. Integrating geofencing capabilities, light detection and real-time threat alerts into your cargo monitoring programs can be the key to combating this historic wave of sophisticated cargo theft.

Click the link to read about how Copeland's Oversight cargo services software, GO real-time 4G/5G tracking devices, and global supply chain expertise help you create a protective "fence" around your high-value shipments.