High-value freight security solution prevents cargo theft during mobile device launch

• Cargo theft prevention requires more than technology. It demands disciplined processes and highly trained personnel.

• Team-driver operations, secure facilities and continuous freight visibility help deter theft before it occurs.
• Schneider's expedited security program helped the shipper achieve long-term protection of high-value freight with zero full-load thefts since implementation.

In today’s freight environment, shippers know nearly any commodity is at risk of being compromised in transit by sophisticated thieves. Of course, if you’re shipping trailers filled with new-model cell phones, you can almost guarantee your product will be a target. This was exactly the case for one of the world’s largest mobile phone manufacturers.

This consumer electronics manufacturer identified a need to strengthen its security policies and procedures to keep pace with evolving cargo theft tactics. The company found that its existing transportation providers could no longer fully meet its security expectations. The manufacturer turned to Schneider, looking for a more stringent security process that would ensure that high-value shipments could travel from their distribution centers to the final destination safely and securely.

Schneider’s Expedited Services Team joined forces with the company’s security team and put its innovative security protocols to work, immediately deploying a series of solutions to tighten security within their supply chain. The manufacturer’s freight began traveling only on trucks with team drivers at the wheel, a move that drastically reduces freight vulnerability simply because the load is rarely at rest. 

Before starting a high-value load assignment, team drivers received specialized security briefings that reinforced situational awareness and reviewed key security protocols, including:

• Having a full tank of fuel when arriving for a delivery and avoiding breaks in the first 250 miles (even the most persistent thieves will not usually follow a load this long)
• Stopping only at secure locations, including Schneider’s network of 35 facilities that are equipped with advanced security technologies and monitored 24/7
• Communicating with dispatch at each stop and inspecting equipment to confirm that the load is intact
• Deploying untethered GPS trailer tracking
• Sending weekly security messages to keep drivers informed about truck stops that had recently been hit by thieves and help drivers plan safe and secure routes

These techniques may sound like common sense, but it takes a company that values security, as Schneider does, to turn common sense into common practice and lock down security for shippers.

In addition to relying on smart, savvy drivers, Schneider’s Expedited Team used the latest in technology to keep freight safe, with its trailer tracking system continuously monitoring each of the company’s trailers on the road. The technology could also identify whether a trailer is loaded or empty and alert Schneider to potential irregularities. For customers using covert product-level tracking solutions, Schneider would receive notifications if freight was altered or disturbed.

Enhanced security protocol made a significant difference within the supply chain for this leading consumer electronics manufacturer.

“We work with a handful of truckload carriers, but Schneider consistently meets and exceeds our expectations,” says the transportation manager for the manufacturer. “Clearly, we’re thrilled with their ability to secure our freight and get our loads from Point A to Point B, but they also find creative solutions to give us the trucks we need even when capacity might be tight. Their responsiveness and flexibility help us get our products to market with the speed, security and peace of mind we need.”

Getting merchandise out of inventory and onto store shelves is crucial to any business operation. However, when it comes to the movement of high-value freight like cell phones, video games and other consumer electronics it’s often easier said than done. With Schneider’s Expedited solutions, shippers can feel assured that their products are making that journey quickly and safely. Plus, they eliminate all the costs and headaches associated with lost loads and cargo thefts.

When you choose Schneider to haul your most valuable cargo, you’re choosing a carrier that prides itself on its proven Expedited expertise, its professionally trained, dedicated drivers and its 90-year history of exceeding customer expectations.