According to the freight intelligence unit Truckpol,
lorry crime incidents have almost doubled from 2,284 in 2007 to
4,171 in 2008, with a cost to the economy of over £100m. Cases can
range from opportunistic thefts from vehicles, to hijackings and
assaults on drivers. Whatever the reasons for this increase, it is
a problem businesses and the authorities are attempting to address,
writes David Perry, director atCognito.
Police already place warnings in particularly dangerous areas.
In addition, investigations can help track down perpetrators.
Companies can also educate their drivers on how to avoid thefts and
react during and after an incident. Yet there is still more that
can be done. Organisations need to use all the tools at their
disposal, and this gives IT departments a great opportunity to
contribute their expertise.
When a theft occurs, tracking and identification technology can
make it easier to trace, identify and recover stolen goods and
vehicles. If this tracking is seamlessly integrated into
back-office IT systems, organisations can also use route mapping to
determine the likely range of any stolen vehicle and possible
escape routes - in real-time.
By compiling all the data it receives, whether from in-vehicle
technology, back-office systems or simple written schedules, the IT
department can ensure that in the event of a theft, the authorities
are notified and passed all useful information, as soon as
possible.
Recovering stolen items is important, but it comes second to
ensuring driver safety in the event of a theft. As well as being
physically secure, drivers must have constant contact with head
office in case of incidents. Simply providing drivers with voice or
email communication is insufficient; a hijacking isn't the best
time to subtly compose a message.
Devices, whether in-cab or handheld, must be constantly
monitored over the back-end network, with automatic alerts if the
vehicle is stopped or incommunicado for an unusual amount of time
or is in a known danger area.
Drivers should also have a "panic button" or "dead man's switch"
to raise the alarm either through action or inaction. In any case,
this again requires the IT department to make sure this technology
is fully integrated and the applications used are 'fit for
purpose.'
As always, prevention is far better than a cure. This is where
IT is best placed to help. Managing a vast fleet of vehicles is by
no means an easy task. However, by integrating vehicle tracking and
onboard computers with back-office mapping and scheduling systems,
organisations can make sure that their routes avoid known danger
areas whenever possible.
Schedules and routes can also easily be randomised and updated
on the fly, making it far more difficult for criminals to plan
thefts based on prior knowledge of a vehicle's location. Drivers
can be updated live with all relevant information, allowing them to
more effectively avoid trouble. Yet again, the IT department is
best placed to coordinate all the technology within these highly
diverse working cultures.
IT has a valuable role in reacting to, noticing and, most
importantly, preventing theft of company goods, and should take any
chance to fulfill it. CIOs must have the confidence and the
opportunity to push their case for greater integration of and
control over IT operations, whether in the office or out on the
road. This may result in conflict with other departments that
resent intrusion into their domain, but protecting company property
and employees must come before political concerns.