Keeping Air Cargo Safe
Felecia Stratton is the editor of Inbound Logistics magazine.
Here are a few tips for keeping your air cargo safe during large freight shipments:
- Audit and analyze processes to find potential threats. Go over the shipment process from start to finish. At each step, determine what security threats are present and where extra precautions are necessary. Revisit this plan each time a process changes to stay on top of any security concerns. Train team members thoroughly for security measures at all steps.
- Use a layered approach. Layering security methods multiplies effectiveness. You can do this by combining different tools, such as using both security seals and tamper-evident tape. It also can mean providing security at multiple points. For air cargo, this could mean securing the aircraft door, the cargo container, and the individual units separately for better combined results.
- Utilize barcodes and digital tracking. Cargo theft is becoming extremely advanced and complex. People will go as far as setting up false shipment records or infiltrating shipment plans early in the process. Using barcode tracking and digital records makes it more difficult to falsify records or steal information.
- Use tamper-evident seals. Tamper-evident seals deter theft because potential thieves cannot attempt to break into the shipment without leaving clear evidence. Tamper-evident seals that are used for air transport include padlock seals, bolt seals, pull-tight seals, and more.
–American Casting and Manufacturing