Installing a sturdy trailer door lock or cargo door lock on the back of one’s trailer can greatly reduce the risk of cargo theft.
Why is a cargo door lock even needed?
Vicki reported about cargo theft in her October 7, 2023, issue of TDMST Weekly Round-Up.
From this October 5, 2023, article, about $73,000 worth of high-end seafood was stolen from a trailer while the truck driver slept in his tractor!
The article stated: “The thieves broke through the seal and padlock to take the cargo.”
In the past, some truckers may have thought that a padlock was sufficient to prevent cargo theft.
I don’t know what kind of padlock the trucker had installed on his/her trailer to try to deter thieves, but it obviously was one that could be breached.
Well, all one has to do is search YouTube.com for “wrenches to open padlock” to find at least 3 different “shorts” videos about breaking into a padlock (whether with or without breaking the lock).
So, obviously, a better grade of lock needs to be used, perhaps a bar lock.
Using a Bolt As a Trailer Door Lock
Besides using a bolt (shown below), at least two kinds of trailer locks help prevent trailer doors from opening.
One kind where a shackle fits through a clasp on the trailer door.
This prevents the handles from being lifted and the doors opened.
A second kind has a “bar” with gripping ends to fit around trailer door bars.
This prevents the doors from even being opened even if the handles are free.
Is A Seal The Same Thing As A Cargo Door Lock?
Trailer seals may consist of a thin metal strip (shown below) or a piece of plastic.
Every trailer seal we’ve ever seen has been numbered.
That number is generally recorded on the bill of lading (BOL).
Placing a trailer seal on a trailer is not the same thing as locking a trailer door!
An intact seal indicates that the trailer has not opened and the load within is intact as it was loaded.
Plastic and metal trailer seals are notoriously easy to break or cut.
Every receiver worth his/her salt will check the seal number against what’s on the BOL.
Is A Padlock Good Enough To Lock Trailer Doors?
Did you know that it’s pretty easy to break — or pick open — some shackled locks?
All you have to do is look for certain videos on YouTube to find that information.
For this reason, some truckers may choose to lock their trailer doors with a “shielded” padlock.
Shielded padlocks are designed to be difficult (if not downright impossible) to breach the same way.
Per the article cited above, a standard padlock with a shackle may never again be good enough to lock standard trailer doors.
By “standard” trailer doors, we mean those on pup trailers, containers of various lengths, 48′ trailers, 53′ trailers, 57′ trailers, and other kinds of trailers that have doors that can be closed.
Shown below, courtesy of Amazon.com (with which we have an affiliate relationship), is a “shielded” padlock.
It was been designed in a circular shape and with an extremely short shackle.
That way, a shielded padlock can fit snugly around the pieces to be locked.
We used shielded padlocks on the locks on the doors of the self-storage units we rented.
As a result, we never experienced had a problem with theft from our storage units.
However, when Mike worked for one trucking company, they required that he use the provided bar lock.
We have included more information about bar locks below.
BRINKS 173-70001 Shielded Discus Padlock, 70mm,Silver
Should you look to buy a shielded padlock, for what should you look?
One suggestion we would look for is “prevents lock picking.”
Accordingly, we would not want simply “pick-resistant” or “pick and pry resistance.”
Also, we suggest looking for a high amount of pressure required to cut the shackle.
Certainly, we also prefer a proprietary key that doesn’t have a brass tumbler cylinder.
Is An “Armed” Padlock The Best Cargo Door Lock?
Vicki took these photos of a Smart Alarm Padlock on sale at a truck stop years ago.
Some truck stops may still sell these.
When “armed,” these locks emit a 120-dB alarm that sounds when the lock senses tampering.
Naturally, this design deters would-be thieves.
Is A Bar Lock The Best Kind Of Trailer Door Lock?
Please be aware that a determined thief will not be stopped by “small potatoes” ways of gaining access to a trailer.
Shown below is a photo of the back of a trailer door:
- centered over the two inner bars;
- with a red, plastic seal on the right trailer door handle keeper/latch/hasp; and
- a bar lock closed over the two inner bars.
We are concerned that some bar-type trailer door locks are keyed alike.
Does that mean that every bar lock is keyed exactly like every other bar lock?
If so, determined thieves could simply buy a bunch of bar locks just to get the keys.
That way, they could gain access to scores of trailers locked with them!
We prefer a bar lock with a proprietary type key and lock system.
We further prefer a lock that is hard or impossible to pick!
Even though we have personally selected the following devices — listed below from lowest to highest cost — please do your due diligence before buying one.
Some of these devices are lighter weight while others are both heavy-duty and heavy.
Proven Industries Steel Cargo Door Lock, CDL for Semi Truck Trailers and Containers
Equipment Lock HDCDL Steel Heavy Duty Cargo Door Lock
Pros Of Using Cargo Door Locks On Trailers
We consider these to be the top 5 reasons why truckers should always use a trailer door locks.
1. Deterrent to theft and vandalism of cargo.
2. Peace of mind experienced by trucker, the trucking company, the shipper, and the receiver.
3. Potential compliance issues (including what could happen to a company driver who was instructed to use a trailer door lock, didn’t use one, and the load was partially or fully stolen).
4. Lower insurance costs.
5. Cost effectiveness compared to loss of cargo.
Cons Of Using Cargo Door Locks On Trailers
We consider these to be the top 5 reasons why truckers resist using trailer door locks.
1. Cost of locks (larger, heavier locks generally cost more).
2. Potential of losing specialty keys (and access to loads).
3. Weight of locks (one of the locks listed above weighs 12 pounds!).
4. Additional time spent locking and unlocking locks.
5. Potential for incorrect installation or arming of locks (thus rendering the lock not useful).
Conclusion
Professional truck drivers should carefully weigh the information on this page.
Accordingly, they must determine what is beneficial for their specific needs and circumstances.
We would appreciate hearing your top story about using — or failing to use — a trailer door lock to secure your load.
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