MOVING FORWARD THE QUESTION IS…


The coronavirus may well lead to a reinvention of global supply chains. As supply chain security professionals, what are the big questions you feel Covid-19 will force us to address? This is a topic we hope to explore in next month’s Vigilant. If you have questions that need answering, send them to me at Thorsten.Neumann@tapaemea.org


CALL TO ACTION


Don’t forget, if you have a manufacturing customer or logistics partner you feel should consider joining the TAPA Family, I am always ready to make myself available to join a call with them to explain more about our Association or to answer any questions they may have about membership. Just let me know how I can help.


17


INSIDE THE MIND


OF A CARGO THIEF More than ever, the top priority for all of us currently is the health and wellbeing of our families but, as supply chain security professionals, we also know that there are plenty of others out there who see this moment in history as an opportunity to identify gaps or weaknesses in security for their own gain.


On 6 April, we received a report of the theft of €5m of medical supplies, notably two million face masks, from a warehouse in north west Spain. The operators of the facility, which stored medical supplies such as masks, surgical gloves and personal protective equipment (PPE), are in bankruptcy and a local ‘businessman’ clearly saw the chance of a timely ‘quick buck’ after finding a buyer in Portugal for the stolen goods. Happily, he has since


THE FINAL FRONTIER


been arrested and, hopefully, will face the appropriate penalty for his actions.


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I mention this not just because of the distasteful criminal intent but mostly because of the swift response of Spanish law enforcement. It is a welcome reminder that even in this time of new policing challenges, cargo crime remains a key focus – and this is true across the EMEA region. So, a big ‘thank you’ to our law enforcement partners.


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Thank you to all the TAPA members who participated in our survey looking at Last Mile Cargo Thefts, produced in association with BSI. You can read more on our findings in this issue. There is no doubt in my mind that this is a form of cargo crime which will rocket in the next 2-3 years. I also suspect it may breed a new generation of ad hoc offenders who are currently involved in other forms of petty crime.


With the Last Mile delivery market in Europe expected to grow at an average of 16% a year in the next 6-7 years, and to be worth some $2,491.8 million by 2027, we have to expect, and be ready for, the risks that come with this.


ADDRESSING


FRONTLINE FEARS The shortage of truck drivers in Europe is well documented – 45,000 too few drivers to meet demand in Germany, 20,000 more needed in France, and similar stories in other countries across the region. In Germany, it is estimated that 30,000 drivers leave the profession every year.


It is a situation that ultimately affects us all as business professionals and consumers. We all rely on trucks to bring us the goods we need. The current focus on international supply chains proves this more than ever.


We need to take action to improve this career choice. One of the ways we can do this is to make drivers feel safer when they are on the road. Within the driving community, the threat of cargo crime, and the violent attacks often associated with it, is a very real cause for concern. More secure parking for trucks - as highlighted by the SNAP survey of truck drivers in Germany reported in this issue - will be a positive step forward. Drivers are the frontlines of global supply chains and we need to support them in order to keep them. TAPA’s Parking Security Requirements (PSR) are helping to create more secure parking places in Europe but we need many more and we need them now. If you think you can help us achieve this, get in touch.


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