1  Preliminary remarks

[German version]

The globalization of the international economy brings with it new logistics concepts and an attendant constant increase in goods transported by truck throughout Europe. This applies in particular to the transportation of high-value goods. In this context, individual truck consignments regularly have a value of millions of euros.

This development, coupled with the lack of high-security truck parks, opens up opportunities for crime and as a result makes the theft of freight more attractive to groups of offenders who are generally organized and are basically interested in all types of freight.

The available statistics clearly illustrate the exceptional extent of the risk. More than 30 % of all freight theft takes place in truck parks. The perpetrators do not restrict themselves to the cargo, but steal entire transport units or hijack complete trucks and trailers together with their drivers.

Figure 1: Truck park

Provision of high-security truck parks is intended to counteract this development. Such truck parks provide the transport industry with the possibility of improving the security of transport operations that have been deemed to be at risk of theft after an individual risk assessment.

The current security recommendations are intended to provide practical assistance when designing high-security truck parks. As such, they only contain non-binding, security-related comments for use when planning, constructing and operating high-security truck parks. In some cases, additional measures may be necessary in order to provide effective protection. The insurers and the insured parties decide on a case-by-case basis what security requirements should be considered crucial when using high-security truck parks.

These non-binding security recommendations were drawn up taking into account the security needs for truck parks that are specifically relevant to freight haulage. The following authorities participated in drawing up the recommendations:

	the Bundeskriminalamt (BKA)
	the Berufsgenossenschaft für Fahrzeughaltung (Vehicle Operators‘ Trade Association)
	the Gesamtverband der Deutschen Versicherungswirtschaft (German Insurance Association)

The recommendations cover the following aspects:

	construction recommendations,
	recommendations relating to security methods,
	staff and
	organizational recommendations.

The security measures recommended in this handbook represent minimum requirements that are tenable from a specialist perspective. They can only be fully effective if they are implemented as part of an overall concept and if the staff buy into the concept.

Sensitization of all those involved to developments and events relevant to security plays a role in reducing the inevitable residual risk.

Note These current security recommendations are non-binding. In individual cases, insurers can accept other security measures that do not conform to the requirements described here.

Top of page | Contents