According to the International Cargo Security Council, $12 billion worth of cargo is stolen in the United States every year. In an effort to prevent future thefts and reduce the amount of high-demand merchandise stolen each year, Schneider National Inc. recently held a customer security summit to highlight practical and effective security procedures within the transportation industry.
Schneider’s leadership within the transportation industry and high-level involvement in national security initiatives led to the creation of the summit. Attendees included leading manufacturers, rail carriers, highway carriers, security organizations and the California Highway Patrol. Schneider says that during the summit, these groups took a proactive approach to supply chain security breaches by building a clear understanding of the lifecycle of high-value freight while looking for solutions to protect valuable shipments.
“Within the last few years, and especially during the holiday shopping season, we’ve seen a growing need to protect merchandise being shipped over the road and railways, most notably high-demand electronics,” says Walt Fountain, director of enterprise security at Green Bay, Wis.-based Schneider National. “Our customers depend on us to ensure their products are being received and delivered securely and efficiently. By coming together with leaders in the industry, we were able to identify shared security gaps and put in place best practices and procedures to ensure tighter security within the transportation supply chain.”
According to Fountain, the group’s security gap analysis work has led to the development of more than 20 new initiatives that will be administered at appropriate points within the supply chain; these initiatives are scheduled to go into effect within the next 90 days and are expected to cut down on the number of thefts and security breaches.
