printer friendly version

Delivery vehicle security needs an holistic approach to be effective

Traditional delivery vehicle protection/recovery systems are generally composed of two parts: vehicle tracking devices and rapid response teams. While these elements form an integral part of the solution, not seeing the big picture can lead to expensive losses for the companies relying solely on these methods of protection.

This has been borne out by many factual incidents where everything worked exactly as planned but with one major disappointment - the vehicle was recovered but the cargo was missing.

Malcolm Thomas, Managing Member of Transaction Control Technologies

Malcolm Thomas, Managing Member of Transaction Control Technologies has adopted a fresh approach to delivery vehicle security by taking a cue from criminals themselves. "Any hijacking/theft operation anticipates a vehicle with high-value goods to be fitted with a tracking device. The experienced crime syndicate behind the operation has stripped the vehicle of its cargo and made a clean getaway before the response team arrives," Thomas said. "An ideal situation would be if the response team arrives at the vehicle to find the cargo intact. This can be achieved by introducing cargo protection to span the vulnerable time window between the theft of the vehicle and the arrival of the response team at the compromised vehicle.

"Smokecloak, a unique product for which TCT is the sole South African agent, lends itself towards facilitating a solution that will plug any existing loopholes in vehicle security," Thomas added. "The Smokecloak range of products include a vehicle protection unit that can be successfully used in a variety of vehicles ranging from courier vans to the larger trucks used for bulk transport. When the system is triggered the device discharges a dense white, noncontaminating vapour in the cargo hold. This vapour significantly reduces visibility thereby effectively obscuring the cargo until the recovery/response team arrives. An added bonus is, of course, the fact that the billowing discharge attracts a lot of attention and experience has shown that thieves are prone to fleeing when confronted by the white blanket of vapour."

Thomas stated that one of the advantages of Smokecloak is that it causes a complete reduction of visibility. "Even if the unsuspecting criminal discovers that the vapour is totally harmless and nontoxic, his task will be made extremely difficult if he cannot even see the cargo. The unique cloaksensor used in conjunction with the Smokecloak machine ensures that the 'smoke' remains at an optimum density that will continue to completely obscure the goods until help arrives.

TCT also has some innovative ideas of how the overall cargo security can be further enhanced by adopting a flexible lockdown approach which would require clear visibility in order for the cargo to be unlocked and removed. Another international product for which TCT is the sole supplier in South Africa is TRACcess. This remote access control technology can also play a significant role in cargo protection - eliminating the possibility of collusion with the driver.

Thomas concluded by saying that TCT advocate cooperation with other solution providers to arrive at an holistic solution to the vehicle/cargo theft problem. "In this regard the client's involvement and participation is an essential part of the whole process."

For details, contact Malcolm Thomas, TCT, tel (011) 888 1210, fax (011) 888 1625.

Share this article:

Further reading: