Yeah but in reality, most cargo thefts are replacements, not outright thefts. The item in question is replicated with a dummy item and the proper exchange is none-the-wiser. However, that's why a corp would own their own port, and routinely send in operatives to weed out bad authorities. Sure they can play the bribery game in neutral or rival corp ports, but over-time the corps are going to prioritize hiring loyalists rather than buying loyalty. Eventually theft like this requires lots of planning and coordination, a level of stealth would be required then.

But then again, having been hired to find and report bad interests for a corporation in RL, maybe this is my experience over-riding the canon. Perhaps Corps are too big to hire loyalists or lack a level of direct management available to ensure loyalty. But then, you can buy off truckers, ports, and outright thefts become a viable problem.

Then again, I work in a warehouse distribution center right now. I proposed the organization audit each shipment in random days and ensure shipments are done right. You would've thought I was suggesting that they hired crooks or delinquents. I am temping in place where the business has had very costly shipment mistakes and disappearances. Unlike politics and government, most businesses don't want to fund the bad guy division known as auditing. It's a surprising acceptance of inefficiency to me. I think MegaCorps, if they truly sought profit would avoid this inefficiency at any cost because it can shut their entire flow down, or at least a major lane.

Respectfully,
Michael McKinney
-----------------------------
Best reached by e-mail
Phone: 1-217-778-2154
Email:  archangel620@gmail.com
For Political and Government Things
Professional Email: xxxxxx@gmail.com

On Wed, Apr 20, 2016 at 3:27 PM, Bruce Johnson <xxxxxx@pharmacy.arizona.edu> wrote:

> On Apr 20, 2016, at 11:35 AM, Michael McKinney <archangel620@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Interesting to see the initial remarks on trucking though. Merging the two takes me to the place of Fast and the Furious though, more than RL. That movie series features many trucks being hijacked, drivers murdered, and cargo stolen than occurs in RL.
>

I’d expect most (successful) RL truck hijacking occurs in the port; workers just put the container on the ‘wrong’ truck, wittingly or unwittingly. Just hack the scheduling and loading system (if you know which container ID has the stuff you want) and just get in line with the rest of ‘em. The stolen container is put on your own truck for your convenience. No muss, no fuss, and you could get away with it for quite a while if you did it low key. If stopped, the driver would have a valid manifest. Hell the driver doesn’t even have to be in on it (in fact it’s better if he isn’t…)

ObTrav: The PC’s need to steal a specific cargo lot from the starport...

Alternatively they just steal the trucks or trailers when the driver isn’t in them: <http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704722304575037241392821742>



--
Bruce Johnson
University of Arizona
College of Pharmacy
Information Technology Group

Institutions do not have opinions, merely customs

-----
The Traveller Mailing List
Archives at http://archives.simplelists.com/tml
Report problems to xxxxxx@simplelists.com
To unsubscribe from this list please goto
http://www.simplelists.com/confirm.php?u=ChhrKYzrISfRC6uq8SknMIAqPIH6doDe