FEaTuRE Risk
Inside jobs is a growing threat to their goods. Robert
When highway banditry does occur, they Jiang, of Shanghai Dajin Logistics Co. Ltd
are sometimes random hits, which generally says that his company actually experiences
occur when trucks travel through poor re- more financial losses from police fines due to
gions of the country, especially Henan Prov- overweight vehicles. “In November we had
ince. Often, these types of raids result in a a truck caught by the policemen and fined
lot of ripped canvas and the thieves, finding RMB50, 000 because we loaded 5.7 tons on
nothing of value, sometimes leave without a 5 ton truck,” says Jiang. “We find that the
taking anything at all. More often though highway police here are highly efficient.”
gangs of highway bandits know exactly what
Gideon Ong
Mr. Sau Kheong Yeoh, Senior Supply
they are looking for when they go into the Chain Operation’s leader for Dow’s opera-
back of a truck. According to Daniel Kong, tions in the Asia Pacific region agrees that
Export Sales Manager at RedBox (Chaoan) There are China has done a good job with its highway
Stationary, most high-value robberies are
definitely
law enforcement. “China has actually done
inside jobs, where robbers research truck pretty well in keeping things under control,”
routes in very systematic ways.
cases when
says Yeoh. “The fact that China is the factory
This often means a gang has a source
truck
of the world means that we ship everything
inside a company’s warehouse, sometimes
even the drivers themselves. “There are defi-
drivers are
here that we ship in the rest of the other
countries in Asia – which means that there
nitely cases of drivers collaborating in such
collaborating
are even more opportunities to steal.” In fact,
theft,” says Gideon Ong, VP of Logistics,
in the theft
Yeoh says counterfeit, mimicry and the re-
Asia Pacific Regional Service Center at Bayer labeling of their products is a bigger safety
Material Science Ltd. “Who you use to ship of their own and financial threat, more so than menace of
your products matters a great deal.” When
vehicle.
transit raids.
the tracking companies notices some kind Whether or not cases of highway robbery
of shortage in stock, they always blame the is a growing threat in China is still difficult to
truck drivers first because there are common as the drivers, and companies who are hiring say, as many cases actually go unreported due
cases – oftentimes the truck driver is related shippers must keep a close eye on the people to lack of knowledge, company negligence,
to whoever is stealing the merchandise. “It’s they use as a 3PL. “You get what you pay lax police organization or the embarrassment
surprising how few companies understand for,” says Ong. “Better quality companies of companies. “There are some people who
that malfeasance can occur within their sup- have their reputation at stake and must know think that the TAPA database will never be
ply chain.” says So. “This is a greater cause how to work with locals to resolve or miti- a success because people are not reporting
for concern than external burglary because gate this. The lower the price you pay... the their losses,” says Amelsfoort. “If we can
insiders are in the best position to circum- higher the risk.” convince people to report all of their prob-
vent exiting loopholes in the supply chain lems anonymously then the real situation will
and plan for the best time to strike.” Bigger Fish to Fry come out in terms of highway robbery con-
To mitigate this threat, companies will of- In spite of these facts, there are many who dition in China.”
ten change the routes that they take, as well remain unconvinced that highway robbery
www.chainaonline.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010 39
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