How the digital consignment note can prevent damage by fake carriers
A few days ago, 20 tons of Milka chocolate went missing in Austria. How? Because after one carrier hired in another and then another for the transport from Austria to Belgium, a fake carrier took advantage of the situation. The truckdriver simply pulled up at the Milka-factory in Bludenz , showed the fake consignment note (on which his stolen number plate indicated him as the person to pick up the chocolate), loaded a truckload of chocolate and left. When the damage was discovered, the fake carrier was long gone, probably already enjoying one of the stolen chocolate bars. So far, the police has not been able to locate the missing freight or the fake carrier. Financial damage: Between 40,000 and 50,000 Euros. A damage that could have been avoided easily with a digital consignment note!
Knowing the information that has to be on a specific consignment note and possessing the corresponding number plate, everyone could easily fake a paper consignment note. But a digital one that is linked to a specific account to which you need to have access to pick up the goods? In TransFollow, each created consignment note is linked to a unique account of the consignor, carrier, sub carrier and consignee. Only the person who has access to this account, and therefore has the right e-CMR key, can see and manage and sign the digital consignment note with a unique QR code. A fact that makes the identification process during pickup and delivery way easier and limits the risk of financial damage by fake carriers to a minimum.
“A real e-CMR makes the lives of fake carriers very difficult. As both parties need to have the same e-CMR key to sign off the shipment before the carrier can leave the location, a digital waybill is much safer.”
, explains René Bruijne, General Manager of TransFollow BV. With this being said, a digital consignment note increases the likelihood of putting fake carriers behind bars instead of letting him get away with your (chocolate) bars.
