Less than Truckload (LTL) Cargo Security

Transcription

1 1 Less than Truckload (LTL) Cargo Security Prepared by IMUA s Loss Control and Claims Committee Copyright 2017 Inland Marine Underwriters Association

2 2 IMUA STATEMENT The Inland Marine Underwriters Association [IMUA] is a not-for-profit national trade association focused on the commercial inland marine line of business. IMUA was organized in 1930 as a national trade association and rating bureau for all inland marine classes. In 1948 the rating bureau activities of the IMUA were transferred to the Inland Marine Insurance Bureau (now defunct) due to the 1944 US Supreme Court decision in the South-Eastern Underwriters Association case. Today, IMUA is comprised of -- Members - insurance and reinsurance companies that underwrite a significant portion of the commercial inland marine insurance in the U.S. Associate Members companies or organizations that provide products and/or services to the insurance industry. One of the services IMUA provides its members is the publishing of information for use by underwriters, loss control and claims specialists, and other interested parties. The topics covered by IMUA Reports, Bulletins and News Articles are intended to provide an overall awareness of the issues, hazards and exposures associated with a specific industry or inland marine class of business. Volunteer members of a technical committee of the IMUA or IMUA staff have produced this information. Committee members abide by antitrust restrictions while compiling information. It is generally not possible to treat any one subject in an exhaustive manner, nor is it IMUA s intent to do so. No warranties are made regarding the thoroughness or accuracy of the report or any part of it. Nothing in this report should be interpreted as providing definitive guidance on any question relating to policy interpretation, underwriting practice, or any other issues in insurance coverage. IMUA does not prescribe to its members how to make underwriting or claims decisions, nor does it require that analyses follow any particular format. IMUA offers thanks and appreciation to the Committee members for their contribution to this Report: Loss Control and Claims Committee Barry Tarnef, Chubb Chair Guillermo Cancio, Markel Corporation Julio Carillo, Nationwide Shawn Crawley, Sompo International Jennifer Creighton, Markel Corporation Greg Haber, Babaco Craig Kolakowsi, Allianz Risk Consulting, LLC Tom Malia, Swiss Re Kord Spielmann, The Hartford Jeff Statham, XL Catlin Raymond Szczucki, Chubb Nicole Warchol, XL Catlin

3 3 Less than Truckload (LTL) Cargo Security Overview The trucking industry in the United States employs more than 7,000,000 people; about half of which are drivers. In fact, 29 states list truck driver as the number one occupation. The national economy depends on this mode of transportation since more than eighty percent (80%) of all cargo is shipped by truck. This equates to nearly US$ 700 billion worth of manufactured and retail goods annually. There is another US$ 500 billion in trade with our neighbors to the north (Canada) and south (Mexico). Virtually all the attention on cargo theft and security best practices focus on full truck loads (FTL). This certainly makes sense given the fact that the market for FTL shipments is much larger (US$322 billion) than the Less than Truck Load/LTL (US$54 billion segment but the LTL is the faster growing part. Demand is driven by manufacturing output, residential and commercial construction activity and increasingly by retail spending both in store and online. The profitability of a LTL trucking company depends on operation efficiency characterized by network density- more terminals and hubs scattered throughout the regions in which they operate. Generally speaking, the value of goods in a Full Truck Load is higher and the time they are at risk may be longer (a LTL shipment will likely be routed through a number of terminals so end-end the total transit time can be equal to a point-to-point FTL move) and at greater risk. For these and probably other reasons, scant attention has been paid to securing LTL cargo which includes small parcel/express package and last mile courier transport. Operations In the Less than Truck Load environment, the trucking companies either pickup or receive individual shipments at their terminals, sort them by destination and then consolidate them on line haul trucks to a hub either within their region or a major centrally located hub. From that point the cargo is unloaded, staged temporarily, and then loaded onto trucks for local delivery. LTL carriers have both long haul and shorter trip segments. They use the now standard 53-foot trailers or more and more opt for tandem or twin pup trailers for the longer trips and smaller trucks even straight, box or vans for city runs and local deliveries. While the FTL market has literally thousands of companies operating in that space there is no real dominant player; Swift Transportation has the largest market share at one percent (although they plan to merge with Knight Transportation so their combined market share will be higher) and the Top 10 truckers make up just about 5 percent of the total. Purchase or lease a tractor; obtain operating authority from the Department of Transportation; and, hopefully, purchase appropriate insurance and you are in business.

4 4 In contrast, the Top 5 LTL companies account for over half (approximately 55%) of the market: FedEx Freight- 16.3%, YRC Worldwide- 14.5%, Con-way Freight, now owned by XPO Logistics- 10.3%, UPS Freight- 7.4% and Old Dominion- 6.9%. There are a number of other well-known companies such as Estes Express, ABF, R-L Carriers, Averitt Express and Saia Motor Freight Line with some having national reach while others have a regional radius of operation. Based on their hub and spoke business model requiring a network of terminals to support shipment pickup as well as long haul and last mile deliveries, there are significant barriers to entry into the LTL market even in today s deregulated environment. To prove this point, there has not been a sizable new entrant into this rather niche field since both FedEx and UPS joined late last century. Loss Exposures It is obvious that Less than Truck Load cargo faces additional exposure to theft and pilferage along with damage. It is handled multiple time and it at rest at least twice during transit and these periods of time can occur overnight or during/over a weekend when typically, there are less personnel, including supervisors, on hand. Then you have the local, last mile driver making numerous stops at each, opening-up the swing or roll up doors into the cargo space. Of course, during the over-the-road long haul transport segment, the cargo is exposed to the same threats as Full Truckload shipments. Several FTL companies have instituted security processes and procedures conforming or equivalent to established storage (FSR-Freight Security Standards) and intransit (TSR-Transportation Security Standards) cargo security standards such as those developed by TAPA. These good minimum requirements; however, are not always applicable and/or well suited for LTL, regional and Last Mile carriers. We would note that some Last Mile carriers do not use commercially licensed trucks (some drivers are independent contractors operating their own privately owned vehicles) and thus have an increased exposure to risk. Security Solutions The long-haul segment of LTL transportation can benefit from in-transit security measures mentioned in the recent IMUA paper entitled: Truck Security Best Practices. Moreover, when the cargo awaits transfer from one of the terminals, a satellite or hub, the IMUA paper: Storage Locations- Physical Security Features and Procedural Controls is a relevant resource. However, many of these best practices do not translate well when dealing with trucks stopping to pick up or drop off shipments at multiple locations. The use of a traditional tamper-evident security seal is not practical or is simply relying on the driver to apply a keyed padlock at each stop. Here are some possible steps a trucking company can take to minimize the potential for theft and pilferage from the simple to the more sublime. If the LTL carrier knows the value or theftattractiveness of a shipment, it should be placed in the front (nose) of the truck s cargo space so that it is simply harder to get to in a smash and grab or other opportunistic theft scenario. Another related

5 5 option is to load targeted cargo last and make it the first delivered, in essence providing nonstop transit. Cartons, crates or drums closed with tamper-evident tape, while not useful in preventing pilferage, can, when combined with careful practice of inspection and inventory, at least allow the trucking company to narrow down the point of the incident and take appropriate actions. Of course, any type of tape will not prevent outright theft of a single package so if unitizing like packages may help as well as facilitate handling. Aside from the above procedural tactics, there are physical security tools that can be put into place. We refer to internally mounted locking devices that are activated remotely and are designed to activate as soon as door is shut. Also, there are reusable electronic seals that can be reprogrammed repeatedly as they are affixed from stop to stop. The changing codes can be recorded and updated electronically. A layered approach to security is recommended. Several measures should be used in combination to help minimize risk. Automatic locking devices, heavy-duty padlocks, air brake locks (air cuff for tractors and glad hands for trailer), anti-theft ignition ( kill ) switches, engine idle limiters, alarms and seals can be used and grouped to fit operational requirements. GPS and/or cellular-based asset location/tracking technology should also be included with these measures but not be the only form of security. Other Considerations Aside from cargo security, due to the multiple handling, sometimes done manually but often via mechanical systems (conveyors, chutes, etc.) and material handling equipment, there is also the real possibility of damage to the protective packaging of the cargo.(this is addressed in the IMUA paper on Parcel/Express Shipping) This not only can lead to direct physical contact with the contents but once the integrity of the package is lost, the nature of the goods are known and thus more exposed to theft and pilferage. Another thing to bear in mind is that in many instances LTL shipments are stored with a large amount of cargo destined to other delivery areas and shippers and consignees depend on the cargo handlers in the terminals to accurately sort and load it. It is not unusual for a shipment or part of one, to be misrouted and while this type of error is often identified and the goods ultimately sent along to its proper destination, others have been lost. It is important for shippers to clearly identify the consignee s address on labels, that are indelible and cannot be removed, and ideally in at least 2 places on the package. Of course, care must be taken not to use marks such as product description, company name or recognizable corporate logo) that would allow someone in the supply chain to ascertain the nature of the goods. Summary While FTL shipments dominate the trucking industry, LTL is the faster growing part. Due to multiple handling points and potentially more time at rest, LTL shipments face additional loss exposure. LTL carriers should employ appropriate security measures based on this as well as the value or theft-

6 attractiveness of a shipment. These measures include strategic positioning of the cargo and utilizing physical security tools such as locking devices and security seals. Due to multiple delivery points and increased handling of cargo, LTL carriers should be diligent about careful handling of the cargo to ensure package integrity including marks and shipping labels. The increased exposures facing LTL carriers can be mitigated by employing sound risk management techniques. 6