In short supply and a security risk: in many countries, truck stops are not only filled to overflowing but also attract thieves. The TAPA is now cracking down on the problem of cargo crime.
What might appear fascinating from a bird’s eye perspective is actually a serious problem. Parking spaces for trucks are indeed in very short supply. This not only applies to, but is particularly prevalent in, transit countries like Germany. According to the authorities, North Rhine-Westphalia alone, where the autobahns carry a lot of traffic traveling on the East-West routes, lacks more than 2,000 spaces where trucks can be parked overnight. The problem is compounded by the fact that unsecured parking locations continue to be a “hunting ground” for freight thieves.
Although solutions to combat this shortage of space, like intelligently controlled display panels, are still few and far between, a very promising approach is now being developed in terms of safety: the Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA) is currently in the process of programming a Secure Parking Online Tool (SPOT) to provide forwarders with information on the security status of parking locations in Europe as well as in countries in the Middle East and Africa. In an effort to obtain accurate and reliable data, the TAPA has launched its “Parking Security Requirements” (PSR) that will help to pinpoint accredited, secure parking places. Most recently, the organization had already identified more than 520 sites in 35 countries with the potential to join the PSR program.
More information on the TAPA initiative is available here.
