We Need SSTPAs Now More Than Ever

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In: In the Spotlight, INTRANSIT NEWS

According to an article in Logistics Business, across Europe, €8.2 billion is lost to cargo theft every year. Criminals are using increasingly sophisticated methods to exploit weaknesses in the logistics industry.

Last month, an advisory board specific to the topic of crime, illegal migration and theft was organised as a part of the stakeholder consultation for the “Study on the Availability of Suitable Rest Facilities for Professional Drivers and Secured Parking Facilities, as well as on the Development of Safe and Secure Parking Facilities in the EU” (MOVE/C1/SER/2023-138) launched by DG MOVE. Discussion in the advisory board meeting made it clear that crime is an ever-present and ever-growing problem within the industry.

“One of the best ways for us to fight crime is to have enough safe and secure truck parking for drivers. In this way, we not only protect expensive cargo, but we also protect the drivers themselves, who face danger in their jobs every day,” says ESPORG General Manager Dirk Penasse.

According to the Logistics Business article, criminals target businesses in several ways, including hijacking trucks, infiltrating warehouses, manipulating data and under protected systems, capitalizing on insider fraud and faking orders and making fraudulent pick-ups.

In addition, the article also mentions that it is anticipated that truck parking areas will incorporate the following technology by 2049:

  • “24/7 security, including the use of robot policing, such as dogs and patrols that provide autonomous surveillance, allowing all areas of truck parks to be monitored, without a human needing to be present.
  • Secure entrances and exits will be introduced, which will only be accessed by pre-booked trucks, and monitored via license plate recognition.
  • AI criminal pattern predictions, to anticipate crime.
  • Facial recognition.
  • Thermal cameras, to detect any unusual activity.
  • Other predictions include using information from tachographs to monitor truck drivers, helping to predict when drivers will need to reach truck stops, and keeping drivers rest safely away from roadsides.”

It is important to note that according to the EU-Parking Standard, certified safe and secure truck parking areas already include some of the security and technology mentioned above. An additional security measure could also be Mac Address Scanners (read more here), which would alert the driver and parking area to the unwanted presence of any infiltrators within the cargo area.

One thing is clear: crime is on the rise and we need safe and secure truck parking more than ever.

Feature Photo by Bermix Studio on Unsplash