IMSecure

IM Cargo Security is now partnered with Port and Maritime Security Online, the internet's largest knowledgebase for port and maritime security issues.

Port and Maritime Security Online

Torry Shealy

Across South America, Central America, and the Caribbean, new rail and ocean carrier links are being made within the region and internationally. Even domestically, trade routes are being developed and improved to increase cargo traffic to and from previously harder to access areas. The new trade routes are seen as boosters to the Latin American and Caribbean economies.

One such domestic project is a new rail line to connect Valparaiso and Santiago in Chile. This project would greatly decrease travel times between the two cities. Peru is also upgrading its rail lines to carry copper, gold and phosphate from mines in the interior to the Bavovar port. According to President Alan Garcia, the rail link will add nearly 2% to Peru’s annual GDP, create 500,000 jobs and carry a million tons of supplies to the mines.[1]

A new cargo shipping line between the Port of West Palm Beach and Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Chile has been established by BBC Chartering USA. This line will help increase cargo shipments to these countries, particularly for the construction and mining industries.[2] Maersk Line is opening new shipping lines between South America, Central America and the Carribean. Direct ports of call will be established linking the ports of

Buenos Aires (Argentina), Zarate (Argentina), Montevideo (Uruguay), Rio Grande (Brazil), Itajai (Brazil), Paranagua (Brazil), Santos (Brazil), Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago), Cartagena (Colombia), Manzanillo (Panama), Kingston (Jamaica), Puerto Cabello (Venezuela), Point Lisas (Trinidad and Tobago), Vitoria (Brazil), and Santos (Brazil).

Unfortunately, when new trade routes are established they can quickly become targets for cargo theft. Increased container traffic in a port increases the time containers end up in a holding pattern leaving them vulnerable to theft. In addition, cargoes transported by rail are also vulnerable to theft, especially when trains are stationary.

Also, cargo theft is characterized by FreightWatch International as elevated to extreme across the entire region. Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Paraguay are considered to have a high amount of cargo theft. Cargo theft is considered to be severe in Colombia, Guatemala, and Haiti while it is extreme in Brazil and Mexico.

While there are several companies now offering cargo security in the form cargo tracking systems most lack a physical security component. There is one exception to this dilemma in a solution provided by the TrakLok Corporation.  Its GeoLok locking and tracking solution provides physical security preventing access to the container while tracking the shipment in real-time anywhere on the planet.

By employing TrakLok’s patented technology in a multi-layered security approach, cargoes can be better protected against theft than ever before. GeoLokTM is unlike any other cargo security technology in providing both physical security and real-time monitoring. Quite simply it is the best security solution on the market for containerized cargo.

In addition to providing better physical security than any other tracking solution on the market, data generated by the GeoLoKTM will be accessible through TrakLogTM. This information can be used in Transportation Management Systems to increase efficiency in shipping and supply chains. The GeoLokTM provides information on idle containers that can put into use, if a shipment is ahead or behind schedule, if a driver has deviated from course or if a shipment needs to be triaged and unloaded quickly. It also can give information on the condition of the shipment itself by communicating with sensors that detect temperature, humidity, light, even spoilage.

TrakLok Corporation, which owns the intellectual property for the GeoLokTM container locking solution, has integrated several wireless technologies to track containers globally, and has developed its own web accessible information-technology based global tracking system. The information provided by the GeoLokTM is accessible through TrakLogTM where users can obtain the location and condition information of a given container from any computer or web enabled device. TrakLogTM alleviates in a holistic fashion problems for companies managing containers in the supply chain including:

• Asset visibility. Where is my leased or owned container now?
• Condition monitoring. How is my container now?
• Security/stop loss. Has my container been tampered with?
• Asset utilization. When can I return my container to duty?
• Predictive maintenance of assets. When is my next required maintenance?

The unique innovation of the TrakLok system will initiate a paradigm shift in how intermodal shipping containers are tracked, monitored, utilized and secured. For more information contact:

Eric Dobson, Ph.D. CEO and Director

2450 E.J. Chapman Drive

Knoxville, TN 37996

(865) 332-1813

Savings through Security: Lower Costs can be Realized with Container Security Solutions.

Torry Shealy

December 10, 2008

            By increasing security measures, those involved in shipping containers in the supply chain could realize significant savings. Increases in productivity, faster transit time through ports, and reduced cargo theft all could be realized by increasing security standards in shipping. Using advanced devices to lock and track containers would be a major advance toward realizing these savings.

According to an A.T. Kearney report stated that integrating an integrated security device on shipping containers could save $1,200 per container, per transit through productivity gains.[1] These savings would be seen from increased efficiencies such as "reducing inventories and out-of-stocks, minimizing lead-time variance and increasing manufacturing uptime" can be achieved by automatically tracking containers.[2]

Another benefit is to move the container through the port and on to its destination without delay. Avoidance of non-invasive inspections could have an average savings of $300 per container, per transit while not having to undergo an invasive inspection could save as much as $1000 per container, per transit.[3] This is mainly due to the container being able to get out of the port faster. There has been proposed expansion of "Greenlanes" at ports in the US for those who uphold C-TPAT and CBP standards.

The International Cargo Security Council reported and estimated $25 billion in merchandise was stolen in the US each year.[4] The European Union estimates that 8.2 billion Euros worth of cargo was stolen off of trucks every year.[5] The total worldwide theft of cargo approaches $50 billion according to Freightwatch International Group.[6] These numbers are considered to be low since not all cargo thefts are reported. In addition, the American Association of Port Authorities estimated that there are $60 billion of in-direct costs that are associated with cargo theft. These include, insurance costs, investigative costs, re-order costs, administrative costs, paying claims, fraudulent refunds, loss of sales and loss of reputation.

Using effective security devices on the shipping containers that these items are transported in would save individual companies millions of dollars each. RFID, bolt, and cable seals will do nothing to stop a criminal from breaking into a container that has been stolen. GPS tracking technologies are showing some promise in tracing stolen containers but does nothing to deter the thieves. What is needed is a device which can integrate anywhere, anytime communications with a difficult to defeat locking mechanism along with interior sensors to monitor for six wall intrusion as well as other sensors that can monitor conditions in the container.