Logistics UK has partnered with the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS) in order to help members identify and mitigate against the risk to their staff and fleet vehicles.
The business group said freight crime was increasing and goods worth more than £111m were stolen from lorries in the last year.
However, it also said that the impact on drivers’ mental health and driver retention was especially concerning to the long-term security of its member businesses and the wider supply chain.
NaVCIS is the national specialist policing unit that bridges the gap between policing and industry and it provides advice, information and guidance to improve safety levels and reduce the incidence of crime.
Maddi Solloway-Price, Logistics UK’s head of road freight policy, said: “We look forward to welcoming speakers from NaVCIS to our autumn series of transport manager conferences, where they will share their knowledge and advice on minimising risk to employees and cargos.
“In addition, we will be working closely with them to share their insights when identifying tactics and trends employed by offenders to target the movement of goods and prevent future incidents.
“We are confident that this new partnership will help us to reassure our members while working with police authorities nationwide to ensure that risks to the supply chain are reduced.”
PC Michael Dawber, NaVCIS field intelligence officer, said its work uncovered the ways organised criminals operated to target cargo from HGVs: “Through our data analysis, we hope to help the industry identify potential areas of weakness in the supply chain and protect goods moving from the manufacturer to the end user,” he added.
As part of Logistics UK’s focus on raising awareness of freight crime, it will also host a round table on the topic with Rachel Taylor MP and NaVCIS in early September.
Last month, the British International Freight Association (BIFA) announced it was strengthening its sponsorship and collaboration with NaVCIS and would also be providing financial support.
In return, BIFA will receive intelligence briefings from NaVCIS on truck crime trends, emerging criminal tactics, and national crime hotspots.
