In Depth

10 Steps to Loading Dock Security

Companies in all industries struggle to secure the loading dock, that sensitive spot where goods come in and go out. Follow these best practices and sleep better tonight.

By Lauren Gibbons Paul

Keep an eye toward compliance. Along with the chemical space, the food industry is among the verticals contending with DHS regulations, including those concerning mandated track and traceability for food ingredients. Contaminants and tampering could be introduced at the loading dock, so it's critical to secure the area. Though these programs are voluntary at present, Bartkowiak wants to be ready should they become compulsory. "We're looking at being able to maintain traceability in an efficient manner," he says. "I've heard some companies are requiring their carriers to supply documentation for recall, traceability and food protection, and their loads now have to be sealed." While Bartkowiak figures out what steps Spartan needs to take to be prepared, he worries about the additional cost of these measures. "We're waiting to see how that's going to come down."

To Murphy, active executive support and sponsorship from the highest levels is the most important to success. At Air Products, that means security and operations work closely together. "We're not siloed. We work across the board. Our security standards reside within various business areas of our corporate and operations groups. That has been very beneficial for us," he says. "The security team also runs our emergency response and plays a critical role in the crisis management function for the corporation. We have a 24/7 security operations center. That really allowed us to work with all different facets of the business." ##

Other stories by Lauren Gibbons Paul

• Email
• Print
• Comments
• Digg This
• SlashDot

• Loading Docks in Multitenant Buildings
• Report: Most Companies Lag in Supply Chain Risk Management
• Peering Into Your Supply Chain
• C-TPAT and Cargo Security: Sea Change