IN Brief:
- New security measures are due to begin in the second quarter of 2026.
- Containers moving from Los Angeles across the BNSF network will receive added protection.
- The programme combines physical security devices with revised rail-car positioning.
Matson is introducing an enhanced intermodal cargo security programme aimed at reducing theft exposure on inland container moves from Los Angeles, with the new measures due to begin in the second quarter of 2026.
The programme adds two layers of protection across the majority of Matson’s international intermodal cargo. The first is the deployment of War-Lok security devices on every international container moving from Los Angeles to destinations across the BNSF network, including Chicago, Memphis, and Dallas. The second comes through an agreement with BNSF Railway to position Matson containers in the lower well of international intermodal rail cars between Los Angeles and Chicago.
The lower-well arrangement will also apply to cargo moving through Chicago to selected eastern US destinations up to the BNSF interchange point. Matson said the measures will be provided at no additional cost to customers, a notable step in a market where cargo security costs are increasingly being pushed back into freight planning and contract design.
The move reflects the growing pressure on carriers and shippers to harden inland transport legs as theft patterns become more organised and more disruptive. It also signals a shift away from treating theft as a downstream claims issue and towards building preventive security directly into intermodal operating models.
