At the Frontline: Security Director Richard Martin

Knight Transportation corporate director of security Richard Martin with his award from the Security Council of the American Trucking Association for Security Professional of the Year. Since Martin's arrival at Knight, the amount of cargo thefts suffered by the trucking company have dramatically declined.

Having a background in law enforcement, Richard Martin thought he had a grasp on cargo theft and how to combat the problem, but it wasn’t until he came to work for Knight Transportation in the summer of 2001 and started to interact with the different associations throughout the industry that he realized just how big of a challenge it truly was.

Martin is responsible for overseeing security for all of Knight’s operations, which encompasses 31 shipping terminals, 3,800 tractors, nearly 8,000 trailers, and more than 4,000 employees.

"At the time, I thought I had some knowledge on cargo theft and after getting involved with the (American Trucking Association), the International Cargo Security Council and the different regional councils, it was bigger than I thought," he said.

Since he took over as Knight’s corporate director of security, Martin, a former Atlantic City Police Department detective, has implemented new policies and technology with the assistance of upper management that has dramatically reduced the amount of cargo that the company loses every year.

Some of the technology implemented by Martin includes installing General Electric Co.’s VeriWise, a GPS asset tracking device, in the company’s trailers and Qualcomm tracking units in their tractors.

"Both have been huge in the recovery of any trailers that have been stolen," he said. "It works great with law enforcement because they know the systems work so if we call a law enforcement agency and explain to them that there’s been a theft and we are at present tracking a trailer, they respond."

One of the biggest challenges that Martin said he faced when he took the job was getting Knight’s terminal workers and drivers to understand the impact that cargo theft has on the industry.