Skip to Content Skip to Search Skip to Left Navigation U.S. Department of Transportation (US DOT) Logo Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) Logo Volpe National Transportation Systems Center
  ABOUT RITA | CONTACT US | PRESS ROOM | CAREERS | SITE MAP
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Intelligent Transportation Systems
National Transportation Library
Research Development & Technology
Transportation Safety Institute
University Transportation Centers
Volpe National Transportation Systems Center
Volpe Overview
Volpe's Work
Information Resources
Careers at Volpe
Business with Volpe
Community Outreach
 
Volpe Employee Directory

 

Intermodal Cargo Transportation: Industry Best Security Practices

May 1999


Table of Contents
About the NSTC and OSTP
Notices
1. Introduction
  • Transportation Infrastructure Assurance
  • Organization of Report
2. Research Findings: Cargo Crime and Cargo Terminal Concerns
  • Cargo Theft
    • Cargo Theft Today
    • Containerized Cargo Crime
    • Methods of Cargo Theft
    • Regional Patterns in Cargo Theft
    • Cargo Fraud
    • Cargo Theft: Key Findings
  • Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering
    • Drugs and Money Laundering: An Overview
    • Money Laundering
    • Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering: Key Findings
3. On-Site and Interview Findings
  • On-Site Visits
    • Port of New York/New Jersey
    • The Port Of Boston (Massport)
  • Interviews
    • Just-in-Time
    • Employee Screening
    • Lack of Accountability
    • Pilferage
4. Best Practices
  • Policy, Procedures, and Guidelines
    • Industry Recommendations
  • Collection and Dissemination of Data
    • Industry Recommendations
  • Coordination and Cooperation
    • Industry Recommendations
  • Personnel Issues
    • Employee and Independent Contractor Background Checks
    • Security Staff
    • Identification System
  • Facility Access Control Measures
    • Fencing
    • Gates
    • Doors and Windows
    • Locks and Key Control
    • Automated Gatehouse Facilities
    • Parking Areas
  • Lighting
    • Industry Recommendations
  • Monitoring and tracking
    • Closed-Circuit Television
    • Use of Secure Areas
    • Advanced Computer Systems/Software to Monitor and Track Shipments
    • Automatic Equipment Identification Technology
    • Global Positioning Systems
    • Tracking of Goods to Prevent Theft
  • Container Seal Improvements
    • Industry Recommendations
  • Information Technology Systems (ITS) Security
    • Industry Recommendations
5. Conclusions and Countermeasures
Appendix a: Intermodal Cargo Security Study
Appendix b: Industry Recommendations For Information System Configuration

  • Identification and Authorization
  • System Warnings
    • Access Control
  • Security Management
  • Other Protected Features
Appendix C: Industry Recommendations for Security Audit
Appendix D: Defining Terms
List of Figures

Figure 1: 1977 OTS Cargo Theft Estimates by Mode
Figure 2: FBI and NCSC Cargo Theft Estimates (Twenty-Year Trend)
Figure 3: Cargo Pilfered From a Container
Figure 4: Sealed Container
Figure 5: Compromised Seal
Figure 6: Rivets
Figure 7: Recovered weapons

List of Tables

TABLE 1: CCTV Technology

Return to Top


Next Section