Freight forwarding for high-value goods: Best practices to ensure security

Written by Millennium Cargo

The security of your high-value goods when shipping them around the world is paramount. High-value goods are particularly vulnerable to theft, but they can also be lost during transit or accidentally damaged – problems that cost both the freight industry and your businesses. 

The Transport Asset Protection Association (TAPA) estimates that cargo crime costs the UK freight industry £420 million annually, with electronics, pharmaceuticals, and tobacco products among the top targeted goods.

When you have high-value goods, it’s not enough to rely on standard shipping practices; proactive measures and a trusted freight forwarder are essential to help ensure the secure transportation of your valuable goods.

The risks: What could go wrong?

It’s not just about crime, either. While theft poses a significant risk to high-value goods, as highlighted above, other problems that can occur include:

• Damage during handling or transit
• Misplaced or lost cargo
• Natural disasters
• Accidents

It’s also not just about the total loss of high-value cargo. Delays can also impact your profit margin, with customs delays or transit problems often the cause of major setbacks.

What can you do to protect your high-value goods?

Best practices for secure shipping

Packaging

It’s essential that you use specialised packaging that will protect your goods in transit.

This should also be correctly and discretely labelled. Discretion is, in fact, a simple and key part of the early stage of protecting your valuables – criminals will target packages they can see contain high-value items.

By considering the specific nature of your items thoroughly and taking a little extra care in packaging, you minimise the risk of both theft and damage.

Insurance

It’s vital to invest in comprehensive insurance coverage.

Insurance in shipping is essential as financial compensation for any loss provides an important additional layer of support. While no one wants to think about the situation where something does go wrong, having an insurance cushion in place to make sure you are not entirely financially responsible for what happens to your high-value goods will ensure that should anything happen, it is more of an administrative annoyance than a true business disaster.

For the history buffs among us, the whole concept of insurance stems from the shipping industry, stretching back to ancient Babylon when loan providers would include terms that meant a loan did not have to be repaid in full if the shipment sank – it is as important today as it was 4000 years ago.

The third level of cover is to use secure transportation options provided by reputable carriers who invest in robust security measures – all handled by the right freight forwarder.

The role of your freight forwarder

Choosing your freight forwarder is another essential component to securing your shipping.

By selecting the right professional company with the expertise needed in handling high-value shipments, you minimise the risks involved, as well as getting the specialist experience you need to handle issues such as customs interaction and the range of security protocols.

A premium freight forwarding company, such as Millennium Cargo, will be able to tailor shipping plans to consider the specifics of your valuable cargo, with experienced and vetted staff who will undertake comprehensive risk assessments and reviews of the different route options.

At Millennium, we work with carriers who have the latest equipment to combat the problem of goods security: trailers that are developed for the protection of their goods with anti-slash curtains, electronic locking systems, precision GPS tracking, door alarms, and temperature-controlled units for the care of perishables are all examples of ways premium carriers are utilising modern techniques and technologies to provide superior, secure service.

It doesn’t stop there. We work with companies that have fully secure ISPS-certified vessels and terminals, which include dedicated areas for the secure storage and movement of high-value cargo, where 24/7 surveillance and tracked access control are standard.

Our team implements real-time tracking and proactive communication with our customers to ensure peace of mind throughout the transit journey.

With Millennium, you can rest assured that your goods are in the very best hands. We can even offer dedicated escort services for extremely valuable or sensitive shipments, with every measure possible taken to ensure the safe transport of even the most important items.

Millennium Cargo: Going the extra mile for high-value goods

When you are shipping high-value goods, it demands proactive protection against the potential risks. Millennium Cargo’s expertise and dedication to the safety and security of transportation means your goods are in the very best hands as they move between the UK, Europe, Asia and the US. 

Using a combination of specialist knowledge, the very latest technology, strategic planning, and established relationships with shipping companies that have the same dedication to security as we do, Millennium offers the very finest and most reliable freight forwarding possible. Contact us today to discuss your specific business needs and do the work to bring your high-value goods safely to their destination.