Transportation Business Resources
Protecting your cargo and your transportation business is our business. Travelers is dedicated to helping freight brokers, fleet operators and logistics firms reduce preventable losses and costs through our products, vendor alliances and claim processing. We use our transportation experience and science to assist companies with security best practices, proper securement techniques for loading and handling, theft prevention and road safety issues.
Travelers on Freightwaves Podcast
Freightwaves is the leading provider of trucking news, media and analytics for truckers, intermodal and logistic operators. Travelers has recently contributed to the Freightwaves “What the Truck” Podcast series to share insights on topics ranging from choosing the right insurance carrier to commonly overlooked coverages to trends in cargo theft. Give each a listen.
(DESCRIPTION)
Screenshot: SiriusXM. Icons: YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Apple Podcast, Spotify, TikTok, X. The host in a black T-shirt with the What the Truck? logo, a baseball cap and beard and mustache sits at a desk covered with items including a pair of shoes that say What the Truck?, two toy trucks, a model airplane and figurines. Text on right sidebar below photos of the host and three other men, with the What the Truck? logo and the title, How Cargo Thieves are Using AI: Today's Show. Nooner with Dooner, The Shot Heard Round the World, Prime Day, Project 44 L.T.L. E.B.O.L., On Deck. Below is a QR code and the logo, Talon Logistics, Inc. On the bottom of the screen are the What the Truck? logo and the crawler, Headlines, CSX has become the fourth Class 1 railroad to join RailPulse, the telematics joint venture that aims to put GPS equipment and sensors on freight cars to monitor their location and health in real time. Crawler continues. The main screen splits to the host on the left and Rehman Khan on the right. The right sidebar changes to, Today's Show, Rehman Khan, AI and Cargo Theft, Tesla Malfunction? WTT Gear dot com, Kyle Taylor.
(SPEECH)
DOONER: So, let's talk a little AI. We got Rehman Khan. He's Assistant Vice President, Cyber Risk Control at Travelers. Great to have you on the show. Thank you so much for coming by.
REHMAN KHAN: You bet. Thank you very much for having us. It's a great opportunity to be here and to speak to your listeners. So excited to be here.
DOONER: Of course. And look, I know that you're incredibly qualified to talk about this topic. But for people who have not met you before, what do you do over at Travelers?
REHMAN KHAN: So, a little bit on the personal end, I have been in information security for the last 17 years. I have spent some time with Department of Defense supporting our fighter jet platforms in terms of security architecture, how they communicate with allies, air-to-ground information security channels. And as of late, last, I want to say about a good eight years, have been focused on commercial applications of information security. I have been with some financial institutions in the past, currently with Travelers.
And my day to day, typically it revolves around connecting with our insureds, our applicants that are looking to take out a policy on what their security controls look like, what the gaps may be, what the opportunities are and how we perceive risk. So basically, trying to quantify risk to a very high extent to be able to pinpoint exactly where we want to be in terms of our pricing. Do we even like the risk? Is that something we want to underwrite or pass? So, taking a look at the cybersecurity programs of the organizations that they're trying to take out an insurance policy with Travelers.
DOONER: Great. So now when most people hear AI, they're like, great, I'm going to give it a prompt to make a funny picture or something, or I'm going to have it summarized. When you hear about AI, you're in cyber risk. And you have to say, uh-oh, what could the threat possibly be to supply chains?
REHMAN KHAN: So, the threats, it's really interesting how every few years we have a term that is tokenized. Previously, it was blockchain. Nowadays, it's AI. Prior to that it was cloud. So the trend goes on and on.
When I look at AI, it's simply a matter of how efficiently an organization perform a task. Now, the issue with AI is that it is available, it's cheap, it's free in most instances, and the free versions right now are very capable of providing to you the information you're looking for, whether you're trying to figure out what your medical condition may be or you're trying to figure out how best to write a cybersecurity vulnerability exploit, how to exploit a vulnerability, for instance, Windows. And AI is capable of pulling information from multiple sources. It's capable of putting it together in a, um, ingestible format.
And you can actually tell it to write certain scripts. You can tell it to divulge information. You can also get it to crunch a lot of data for you. And that's what most of us are using it for nowadays. You take a paragraph, you put it in and tell it to summarize it for you and give you an opinion, it will do that.
Within the trucking industry, what we're seeing is attackers or thieves are focused on figuring out exactly how best to get into the systems and start stealing information. Now, trucking industry revolves around a lot of documentation. You have your freight way, airway bills for the freight. You have your release documentation. You have all of these different trucking organizations, truckers pulling into a hub to pick a freight.
From an attacker's perspective, if I were an attacker, and what we are seeing as a ground reality is that they're not only using AI to exploit your computer systems, your system of records, but they're also looking to pull templates on what a airway bill might look like. Instead of guessing and pulling Google images to figure out what a bill of material might look like, now they're getting actual information from whomever has posted some examples of their airway bills online. They're looking at what are the patterns of trucks moving in and out of an organization, what are the best times to pull in, what are the best times to pull out. They're doing a lot of data mining on vulnerabilities that are very cyber and technology focused.
And they're also looking at your processes and procedures and figuring out how best to exploit it. For instance, if I walk into a facility to pick up a load, the organization might take a look at my driver's license, they might look for some insurance and other forms of documentation that's required to pick up a freight load. As an attacker, I can pull this information, I can forge it very, very easily, and then be able to go back out there, pull that information at the counter, pick up a load and just disappear. So, a couple different vectors in terms of how the trucking industry may be attacked right now.
DOONER: Yeah, and it's AI. It's just a tool so we use it for good or for bad. Staying on the bad side, so you mentioned that these things could be hacked. What have we got to look out for? What have we got to look out for on the bad side of AI in how this is going to factor into trucking?
REHMAN KHAN: See, we tend to as-- as humans, we tend to fear what we don't fully understand. And that's just the ground reality. What we see as a pattern and what we would suggest people look out for is the degree of automation and the implementation of artificial intelligence within their systems.
Organizations will naturally bring in AI and artificial intelligence tooling to automate their processes, to automate a lot of the systems, streamline their procedures internally, streamline their security. Now, every single one of these things, because they are tied to a technology pattern, naturally, attackers are able to bypass a lot of this using AI on their end. For instance, if I'm using AI to start populating tons of information based on past orders or past deliveries or past system of records, attackers also have access to a lot of that information online.
Attackers will be able to pull a lot of information on how trucking industry is using AI, what are some actual implementations of AI technology, and they will be able to come up with ways to bypass. So, what we say is be responsible in assessing your use cases and be very, very mindful of the human element that can make mistake. At the core of all technology, whether it's successful or failing, is a human being. And all we need is one human element to fail at their job and let the intruders or the attackers in.
Previously, as all of us listening today would occasionally check our emails and there would be the Nigerian Prince attack. You are now entitled to $17 billion. All I need is your bank account information and I'll send you the check.
Within corporate America, within the corporate space, within the industry, you have your email addresses out there. Someone needs to just figure out exactly who to pinpoint an attack, send that email, get a foothold of your network by exploiting a weak link. And from that point on, they're on the network observing and absorbing everything that is going on, including how your AI systems are working.
So, we have to be very mindful of the fact that AI is successful till it's successful. But when it fails, you will fall back to your traditional attack vectors. So, a very detailed security risk assessment is definitely required, and every use case should be vetted.
DOONER: Yeah. And I get texts from Craig Fuller all the time telling me to get him some Apple gift cards. Seemingly, he changes his phone number all the time. I haven't got them yet. I won't name names on who here has, but it has happened before.
REHMAN KHAN: True.
DOONER: OK, so thieves can use AI. Great. Let's get rid of it, right?
Or is there anything good? Can we do bots versus bots? Is there a good side to the trucking industry for the AI?
REHMAN KHAN: There are some great use cases. So, attackers will always be there regardless of how bulletproof your system is. Within information security, before I respond to the question, there is a saying, it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when.
Today, those of us that are deeply involved in cybersecurity, we hear a name of an organization in the news that has been exploited. And we don't really think twice about it or pay too much attention to it. And the reason is not that we're negligent. It's simply a matter of, oh, OK, you too?
Think about AT&T. What is it, 110 million? 110 million records, your text messages, private conversations, everything has been leaked. Most of us folks out there, our Social Security numbers are on the black market. So, we are already under attack all the time.
Now, in terms of the tools and what we can use AI to successfully implement and ease some of the pains of being in the business and operating, some of the examples are simply real-time threat detection. You have your security cameras, physical security. You have your entry points. You have your customer database. You can basically bring all these elements, all these data points into a central repo or in simpler terms, a system of record.
And from there, AI can basically massage the data and say, OK, on these days, this is what your flow pattern is. On certain days, you have less trucks versus on other days your traffic pattern shows x, y and z. Most of these trucks are traveling from the Midwest to the West Coast or down South, up North, what have you, to the East Coast. This is how best to optimize your path and your loads. This is how you should be distributing it.
There is with artificial intelligence, it's not just a matter of-- with AI, the core is not necessarily just the information it is sitting on. It is capable of massaging a lot of data, tons of data, and giving you a picture that you're looking for. So, you can also bring in your smart sensors, your IoT devices to figure out what's the best way to optimize the security of a building or a facility.
What are the best security controls we should be implementing? Where should the cameras be? What is the flow in egress and ingress to your facility, to your parking lots, et cetera? What are the human elements?
Let's take a look at when we hire someone, what are the data elements that we're picking up? And are we just running a background check on work history? Are we looking at your Social Security number, your criminal history? If we are, let's tie that together into our driver check-in system.
So, we know when IDs are scanned, a driver shows up with fake credentials, we should be able to quickly scan it. And AI will be able to tell you that, hey, the face and the ID does not match. Or it's a close match, but it's not 100% match. You need to look at something else. So, there are quite a few different use cases that can be implemented successfully to further better the operations.
DOONER: Just got to be aware on both sides. It's a double-- it could be a double-edged sword, especially in this crazy world.
REHMAN KHAN: It is.
DOONER: Always get your insurance. Always be safe out there. Go check out Travelers dot com. And sir, thank you much-- thank you so much for your time today on this important topic that we're all just trying to start to understand.
REHMAN KHAN: Pleasure's all mine. Thank you for having me.
DOONER: Thanks for coming by.
Podcast #44: Women in Trucking
Join Elizabeth Simpkins, Travelers Regional Underwriting Officer for Inland Marine Transportation, as she discusses women in trucking on this episode of What the Truck?!?
Aired: 6/24/2024
Paid Content
(DESCRIPTION)
Logos: Sirius XM, Linkedin, Facebook, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TikTok X. A logo in the lower left says, What The Truck? A QR code sits in the lower right, next to the Chevron and Renewable Energy Group logos. In the center, an image of a man in headphones in front of a microphone sits next to a QR code that says, SCAN HERE. Logo: Offshift. Text: Dooner approves Offshift! "Finally, a program built for truckers" - Dooner. Introduce Offshift To Your Company. A news chyron runs along the bottom. To the right an agenda list reads, TODAY'S SHOW: 500 TRUCKERS OUT OF A JOB, SQUATS ACROSS AMERICA, WTTGEAR.COM, ELIZABETH SIMPKINS, WOMEN IN TRUCKING.
(SPEECH)
TIMOTHY DOONER: Who we got now? Let's see here. It's Elizabeth Simpkins, Regional Underwriting Officer for Inland Marine Transportation over at Travelers. Hello, how are you doing today, Elizabeth?
(DESCRIPTION)
Elizabeth appears in a video call wearing a headset and Travelers umbrella logo T-shirt. The show host appears in his own video call tile next to her, wearing a What the Truck hat. The What the Truck logo above the agenda turns into the Travelers logo.
(SPEECH)
ELIZABETH SIMPKINS: Good morning. I'm doing well. How about you?
TIMOTHY DOONER: I'm doing well. It's a big news. It's one of those weekends where it was kind of like a one-day weekend because a big news story broke yesterday, as you heard in the open with Craig here. But we dove into it. And one topic we're going to get into with you today is women truck drivers. Is that correct?
ELIZABETH SIMPKINS: That's right. We're here to talk about it. Let's do it.
TIMOTHY DOONER: Ok so let's get into it. What do you got for me on women truck drivers? We know that they're 7%, I think, are women truck drivers right now.
ELIZABETH SIMPKINS: Yeah yeah, actually, the numbers are a little higher. I'll tell you that in just a moment. But the reality, the bottom line is it's really no longer a boys' club. That's a false narrative that's getting thrown around, and we're trying to crush it.
What we're seeing is an increase of women in all kinds of trucking company roles. And that's not just drivers. That's where it started. But now you're looking at CEOs and company leaders, human resources, talent management, techs, safety professionals, dispatchers, and of course, professional drivers too.
(DESCRIPTION)
Text: ELIZABETH SIMPKINS, REGIONAL UNDERWRITING OFFICER.
(SPEECH)
TIMOTHY DOONER: Well, I've noticed, I was at MATS. I've met some lovely ladies over there. And you're right, the stereotype is changing. But what's driving that change?
ELIZABETH SIMPKINS: The trucking industry's ongoing driver shortage is really where it began. Trucking companies always looking for that qualified candidate to sit in that seat. Women represent a very large, untapped talent pool. So women are actually finding that truck driving can be a very appealing career choice because there are competitive salaries, there is independence there, and the ability to travel and see the country.
The movement's really growing in large part, thanks to organizations like Women In Trucking Association. That's a nonprofit that has been around since 2007. Their mission is really threefold-- encouraging the employment of women in trucking, advocating for truckers' needs, and building that community. They're spreading the word on gender diversity. And they're really highlighting what those careers look like to make sure that gets to the demographic.
Quick numbers-- so you mentioned what the driver pool looks like for females. 12% of professional drivers were female. This is as of last year's Women in Trucking Index--
TIMOTHY DOONER: Elizabeth, you know why I had 7%? Because I remember I did this topic a couple of years ago. And that was the-- I mean, I did this topic a lot. But the last time I saw that number, 7%, that's 5% growth.
ELIZABETH SIMPKINS: It's great, right? It's great. And a lot of other things that are happening in the space, not just the drivers. 31%, if you believe this, transportation company C-suite execs are women. And 28% of transportation board of directors members are women. So really good stuff all across the board. And research has shown us that workplace cultures that have that really strong diversity, inclusion, and belonging, not just in the workforce but in the senior leadership, you see a really strong link to increased productivity.
And I think that's really applicable in transportation as well. Even here at Travelers, we have a lot of diversity happening here, leading to more women who want to be involved and kind of find their own path. In fact, I heard from one of my colleagues just the other day that Travelers likely has just as many women in transportation underwriting roles as men. So I like to say, our company is very big on encouraging women.
TIMOTHY DOONER: I would say so. I would say so. Now, look, it sounds like there's a lot of upside, but are there any challenges? Are we presenting this too rosy? What are the challenges here?
ELIZABETH SIMPKINS: For sure. You know, I think anytime you have this kind of an initiative, you're going to have challenge. And there's no exception here. I think one of the biggest things is continuing to educate and squash that perception that there's an unconscious bias, the idea that trucking isn't suitable for women. And that has to change.
(DESCRIPTION)
Text: ELIZABETH SIMPKINS, REGIONAL UNDERWRITING OFFICER.
(SPEECH)
Another thing that you think about is trucking can be intimidating and very demanding. Truck stops that may not be very female friendly. Or you're being away from your family for a long time, safety concerns, things like that, those can deter women. And those are very valid.
TIMOTHY DOONER: Interesting. Now, one last question for you, Elizabeth. If you were looking to become a-- women looking to become a professional driver, and I know you've talked to a lot lately of your experience, what advice would you give them for getting into this profession?
ELIZABETH SIMPKINS: I think I would probably look toward the Women In Trucking Association. They have an incredible website that's full of really great content, a lot about the industry. You can find someone you can connect with to help you understand a bit more.
They also have this really cool trailer. It's educational. It's called "Whitney Travels Around the Country" and can tell you more about what those opportunities look like. It's filled with modules, a test simulator. You can take a quiz and find out if trucking is a good fit for you.
And local trucking associations are also a really good source of information to learn about the industry. Since they're local, you can find people in your community who can be sources of guidance for you.
The best thing about this path, I think, in looking for a career is that you can really take it any direction that you want. And I think, industry-wide, people are starting to come together to help bring down some of those barriers. So it's more accessible for women.
(DESCRIPTION)
Text: ELIZABETH SIMPKINS, REGIONAL UNDERWRITING OFFICER.
(SPEECH)
TIMOTHY DOONER: Interesting. I forgot to ask you one thing. What are we doing to address some of those challenges that you've alluded to?
ELIZABETH SIMPKINS: I think, again, it's the whole industry that really has to come together. A lot of organizations like Women In Trucking, the American Trucking Association, and even ATRI, American Transportation Research Institute-- very good research and work on trying to find out what those challenges are, where we can make improvements.
I think trucking companies have their own part to play in this. The mindset of diversity right at the start is so important. You have to have that kind of culture of respect that makes the community welcoming. Mentorship programs, focused recruitment efforts to educate women so they know what their career could look like, both the advantages, the opportunities, and ensuring that we just have safe facilities accessible for men and women.
Local chapters of trucking associations, again, like I said, those are important. I was speaking on a Women in Logistics panel not that long ago. And it was so great to see women and men in the audience. So we really need allies in this effort.
TIMOTHY DOONER: Very, very good. Thank you so much for joining us today. Thank you for shining a light on this topic. Everyone, go check out Travelers and Elizabeth for more information on it. You take care, and have a great day.
ELIZABETH SIMPKINS: Take care. Thank you.
(DESCRIPTION)
Elizabeth disappears. The agenda list flips over to include, HAUL OF FAME DRIVER SPOTLIGHT, and, DON'T BE A STRANGER.
(SPEECH)
TIMOTHY DOONER: Take it easy. All right, let's tip the band right here. Chevron Renewable Energy Group provides high-quality liquid renewable fuels to help power the lower-carbon energy--
Full Episode List*
2024 Episodes
- Episode #43: Cargo Theft Trends – Aired: 5/31/24
- Episode #42: Distracted Driving – Aired: 4/15/24
- Episode #41: Challenges Facing the Transportation Industry in 2024 – Aired: 3/4/24
- Episode #40: Important Contract Considerations for Freight Brokers – Aired: 1/17/24
- Episode #39: Theft Trends and Technology – Aired: 12/11/23
- Episode #38: Cyber Risk Management in Transportation – Aired: 11/20/23
- Episode #37: Ocean vs. Inland Marine – Aired: 10/17/23
- Episode #36: Challenges with Lithium-Ion Batteries* – Aired: 9/18/23
- Episode #35: Why Contingency Coverage Isn't Enough* – Aired: 8/21/23
- Episode #34: Strategic Theft and Cargo – Aired: 7/17/23
- Episode #33: Problems with Double Brokering – Aired: 6/26/23
- Episode #32: Reefer Problems – Aired: 5/15/23
- Episode #31: Distracted Driving – Aired: 4/17/23
- Episode #30: Claim Trends – Aired: 3/20/23
- Episode #29: Inflation Pressures – Aired: 2/24/23
- Episode #28: 2022 Recap and 2023 Predictions – Aired: 1/23/23
- Episode #27: 2022 Cargo Transport Recap and 2023 Outlook – Aired: 12/12/22
- Episode #26: Double Brokering: Prevention and Protection – Aired: 11/21/22
- Episode #25: Cargo Theft for Christmas – Aired: 10/17/22
- Episode #24: Coverage Solutions for Supply Chain Risks – Aired: 9/19/22
- Episode #23: Technology Theft – Aired: 8/15/22
- Episode #22: Transportation of Difficult Commodities – Aired: 7/18/22
- Episode #21: 2022 Cargo Transportation Trends Recap and Predictions – Aired: 6/29/22
- Episode #20: Carrier Claims Considerations – Aired: 5/16/22
- Episode #19: Truck Fires – Aired: 4/18/22
- Episode #18: 2021 Theft Summary and 2022 Predictions – Aired: 3/21/22
- Episode #17: Food Shipments and Seal Integrity – Aired: 2/28/22
- Episode #16: Reefer Shipments and Temperature Control – Aired: 1/24/22
- Episode #15: Carrier Vetting for Cargo Theft – Aired: 12/1/21
- Episode #14: Understanding Contractual Risk Transfer – Aired: 10/18/21
- Episode #13: How to Guard Against Large Losses in Transportation – Aired: 9/20/21
- Episode #12: Crash Avoidance Technologies for Transportation Companies – Aired: 8/16/21
- Episode #11: Shifting Cargo theft trends through 2020 and the first half of 2021 – Aired: 7/12/21
- Episode #10: Cyber Risk Prevention for Transportation Companies – Aired: 3/9/21
- Episode #9: Best Practices for Vetting Motor Carriers – Aired: 2/8/21
- Episode #8: Liability Risks Facing Freight Brokers and Ways to Avoid Them – Aired: 1/11/21
- Episode #7: Understanding Holiday Cargo Theft Trends – Aired: 12/11/20
- Episode #6: Common losses facing transportation businesses and risk management solutions to help combat them – Aired: 11/09/20
- Episode #5: Cargo theft highlights for 2020, and prevention and recovery strategies that can help mitigate loss – Aired: 10/19/20
- Episode #4: Claim considerations for transportation companies – Aired: 9/18/20
- Episode #3: Key cargo theft considerations for transportation companies – Aired: 8/10/20
- Episode #2: Key insurance coverages for transportation companies – Aired: 7/13/20
- Episode #1: What to look for when selecting a cargo insurance carrier – Aired: 6/22/20
*This material does not amend, or otherwise affect, the provisions or coverages of any insurance policy or bond issued by Travelers. It is not a representation that coverage does or does not exist for any particular claim or loss under any such policy or bond. Coverage depends on the facts and circumstances involved in the claim or loss, all applicable policy or bond provisions, and any applicable law. Availability of coverage referenced in this document can depend on underwriting qualifications and state regulations.
More Miles, More Knowledge
The transportation industry is continually evolving. From cargo theft trends to security best practices, have a listen and gather key takeaways on today’s most challenging issues.
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