• Inland Distribution
  • September 30 - October 2, 2024 | The Westin Chicago River North

Session Details

Cargo Crime II: Rail

Wednesday, 2 October

9:50 am - 10:20 am (CST) / 02/oct/2024 02:50 pm - 02/oct/2024 03:20 pm
Cargo security is also a concern for intermodal rail shippers. Exporters have complained about seal breaks between the Midwest or Mid-South and West Coast US ports. When the seal is broken, many exporters must pay to return the cargo back to origin, dispose of the materials, and pay for a new shipment to protect the health and safety of the recipient, even if nothing was taken. Seal breaks are also a problem in domestic intermodal. Sometimes cargo is stolen, other times the crooks open the door but take nothing, but either way unauthorized individuals are accessing trains. The domestic intermodal providers can provide some intelligence with devices on their containers that send an alert when the door is open while in transit. The data doesn’t tell who broke into the container, but it can disclose when and where it happened. Most ocean containers don’t have such technology. This session will assess what steps intermodal providers are taking to protect the cargo under their care and custody and deter or prevent break-ins, regardless of whether cargo is stolen or not. What are the pros and cons of the measures being implemented today? Are there other solutions shippers should consider to bolster cargo security? 
Session Speakers