TAPA EMEA launches Driver Security Guide to protect truck drivers facing rising security threats and attacks

A new Driver Security Guide to increase the safety and security of truck drivers facing an escalation in criminal attacks in the Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) region has been launched by the Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA).

The 24-page Guide is available to download free of change from the industry Association’s website in 15 languages: Arabic, Bulgarian, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, and Ukrainian. It discusses the supply chain security environment and its associated risks and highlights the importance of communication with law enforcement and company management when incidents of cargo crime or suspicious activities that could impact cargo security occur.

To help drivers to understand these risks, TAPA EMEA outlines regular types of threats and attacks by criminals targeting supply chains in the Europe, Middle East & Africa region, including:

• Intrusion, robbery & theft
• Deception
• Hijacking
• Illegal migrant entry
• Last Mile vehicle crime
• Cybercrime & information security leak

With over 80% of recorded cargo thefts in EMEA involving criminal attacks on trucks, risks to drivers have been growing exponentially in recent years. TAPA EMEA hopes the new Guide will help to prevent as many future attacks from happening as possible.

“As well as highly publicised truck driver shortages, especially in Europe, we also see a growing realisation by the current driver community that their personal security is at risk. Protecting drivers, therefore, must be a prime objective for all supply chain stakeholders because criminals also understand the vulnerability of trucks and drivers when they are en route or in parking locations.

“This new Guide is available in languages which reflect the main nationalities of the driver community in our region, and we hope it will make a positive difference to their security,” said Markus Prinz, Senior Manager Standards, Training & Certification.

The Guide also offers advice to drivers on the best responses to each type of incident and looks at the important role Monitoring & Response centres play in ensuring the safety and security of drivers, vehicles and cargoes during the transportation process.

Most significantly, the TAPA EMEA Driver Security Guide provides a list of emergency contact numbers in 29 countries in Europe for law enforcement agencies and emergency/ambulance services to help drivers and companies respond immediately to security or health incidents.