Transport security has leapt up the policy agenda in recent years as decision-makers address an increasing variety of threats to transport. These include terror, theft, and accidents involving dangerous goods. The challenge for everyone in the transport sector is to develop security responses adapted to both business and society.
The Volvo Group takes transport security very seriously. We take part in both in national and international research programs like the European Union's Framework Programs for research (FP6 and FP7). And we contribute to standardization bodies like the ISO TC223 'Societal Security' standard, and the Transported Asset Protection Association Europe (TAPA-EMEA) aimed at developing industry solutions to emerging freight security threats.
We have been working to counter security threats for a number of years, for example, developing systems to identify vehicles and loads, monitor where they are and tracking stolen vehicles. Volvo On Call and the Volvo Link tracking system are examples of existing systems. It should be possible not only to track a vehicle or machine with the aid of GPS or immobilize it by remote wireless intervention, but also to act independently by geo-fencing the vehicle before the threat takes place.
Ultimately, we hope to find supply chain security models to take account of both societal and private stakeholders needs. The Volvo Group believes these security changes will affect vehicles such as trucks and buses, as well as the entire transport logistics chain.
Theft: an emerging road transport challenge
While the era of masked highwaymen is long gone, theft is still a serious issue for road hauliers. Road transport is still currently the dominant mode of freight in the EU, with a share of about 72% in the total land-based transport of goods. But criminal acts against road freight transport are increasing, according to unofficial data.
Every two minutes, a truck and its load are stolen somewhere in Europe: the current figure is thought to be 200,000 per year and is rising by 5% annually. In Belgium, for example, eight trucks were stolen in all of 1993, while today, the rate is one a day. The transport industry has been subject to new and innovative techniques by criminals, like fake accidents, deceptions involving calls for fake drop-off points, and intrusions into stationary vehicles.
These thefts hit the haulage industry and its customers hard. Premiums are now rising so steeply that many hauliers cannot even afford insurance. In addition, the destruction and human suffering resulting from robberies, assaults and hijackings, or when a stolen or hijacked truck is used in a terrorist attack, can be enormous. All of which has an effect on our customers’ business.
However, missing, incomplete or incompatible data means there are effectively no official EU statistics available. Currently, the main source of information is the TAPA EMEA IIS incident database. This contains data on crimes against freight transport which is maintained by the 200 TAPA members - key transport stakeholders like vehicle manufacturers, insurers, carriers and logistics operators and law enforcement officers.
The TAPA data shows that the total loss of value in the EU is more than €8.2 billion each year. However, the property value that is claimed - and therefore forms the basis for the statistics - could be as much as half the actual value of the property that is stolen. This is because transport operators tend to maintain an 'own risk' value - and because they fear their image would suffer if the true figures were released.
The challenge for Europe
European decision-makers need to act in a number of key areas to deal with the new security challenges:
• Harmonized jurisdiction and statistics. Two EU institutions are particularly important in the fight against organized freight and vehicle theft: the criminal intelligence agency Europol, and the prosecutors and police network Eurojust. Europol collects and distributes intelligence, while Eurojust co-ordinates crime-fighting through a legal framework. Unfortunately, neither of these capabilities seem to be used in the fight against organized theft of vehicles and loads.
• Harmonized security legislation and certification models. While the EU has done much to move towards single, harmonized regulation, more remains to be done to ensure a legal framework that is clear, easily enforceable and free of unnecessary administrative burdens, so that road transport can continue to be an engine of economic growth in Europe. In October, EU Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot is set to unveil a logistics action plan, part of which will be devoted to e-freight and the use of smart technologies. Whatever happens with this legislation, Volvo wants to play its part in the
debate and help the EU develop the most effective response to any crime or terror threats to transport.
• Standardized supply chain security models. Ideally, these would be inspired by TAPA's Freight Security Requirements (FSR) and Transport Security Requirements (TSR). Introduced in 2000, these define acceptable safety standards for transporting high-tech products, and outline processes and specifications needed for a TAPA certification. It seems to work: a recent TAPA benchmark survey found that participating companies' loss ratios dropped by 30%.
Dr Hans Persson
Manager Transport Services
Volvo Technology Corporation
