TAPA FSR and TSR certification for warehouses and trucks that carry high-value cargo.

What it is

What are TAPA FSR and TSR?

TAPA, the Transported Asset Protection Association, is an industry association focused on cargo crime. It publishes security standards for the supply chain: the Facility Security Requirements (FSR) for warehouses and other sites, the Trucking Security Requirements (TSR) for road transport, and the Parking Security Requirements (PSR) for secure parking.

Organisations certified to these standards appear in TAPA's online certification database, which customers use to check a provider. TAPA operates through regional organisations, including TAPA EMEA and TAPA APAC, and also runs a self-certification programme with an online submission tool. The current edition of each standard and its security levels are confirmed with TAPA's own documents at the start of your engagement.

Who it is for

Who needs TAPA certification?

The request usually comes from a customer who ships goods worth stealing. We see three starting points:

• A shipper makes TAPA a contract condition. A brand owner or logistics buyer asks for FSR at the warehouse or TSR for the trucking operation before awarding or renewing business.
• A tender asks for it. The bid sets a TAPA standard and level, and the certificate has to be in place by a date.
• Losses or near misses need a firm response. A theft, an attempted break-in or an insurer's questions show that security depends on habit rather than a system.

Requirements

What do TAPA FSR and TSR require?

TAPA sets the requirements in each standard, and they vary with the standard, the level and the type of site or operation. We have not reproduced TAPA's structure here; the list shows what Sterling's work covers, checked against the current TAPA documents during your programme.

• Site perimeter and building security: fences, doors, docks and the controls around them.
• Access control and monitoring: who can enter which area, CCTV, alarms and response.
• Security procedures and people: written procedures, pre-employment checks where required, and training.
• Truck and in-transit security: vehicle security, driver procedures, routing and incident response on the road.
• Incident reporting and self-audit: records of incidents, checks and corrective actions kept ready for the auditor.

Your engagement

What your TAPA FSR / TSR engagement includes

Route: certification under TAPA's scheme. Choose one of two support levels under Sterling OS™: Design™ (guided), where your team does the work with our method and reviews, or Drive™ (managed), where our consultants carry more of it. Sustain™ keeps the controls working after certification; Automate™ is Effivity.

• Scope and gap assessment

  The standard, level and sites or fleet in scope, assessed against TAPA's current requirements.

• Security improvement plan

  Physical, procedural and people actions with owners, dates and budget decisions made early.

• Effivity ISO & GRC software

  Risks, checks, incidents and actions in one place, included with the engagement at no additional cost.

• Training for your people

  Internal auditor training, as applicable to your standard, and preferential Sterling Academy access, including complimentary awareness training for your people as part of the engagement.

• Internal audit

  A rehearsal against the TAPA requirements, with findings closed before the audit.

• Certification readiness and support

  Preparation for the TAPA audit or self-certification and support until the certificate is issued.

Sterling does not certify or issue TAPA certificates; the audit and the certification decision follow TAPA's scheme rules, including self-certification where TAPA allows it.

Often combined with

Standards organisations pair with TAPA FSR / TSR

• AEOAuthorised Economic Operator (AEO) readiness: what customs examines, who can apply and how Sterling prepares your controls and evidence for the customs visit.
• BRCGS Storage and Distribution · Agents and BrokersBRCGS Storage and Distribution certification and Agents and Brokers: Issue 4 and Issue 3 requirements, scopes, audits and cost factors, with Sterling's support.
• C-TPATC-TPAT requirements and validation readiness for US importers and overseas suppliers: the Minimum Security Criteria, CBP's process and how Sterling helps.
• CBAMCBAM compliance and requirements explained: authorised declarant status, the 50-tonne threshold, verified embedded emissions and how Sterling helps you prepare.
• EcoVadisEcoVadis rating consulting: evidence on environment, labour and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement, prepared for the assessment EcoVadis runs.
• EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR)EUDR compliance and requirements for cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, rubber, soya and wood: due diligence, risk assessment and the 30 December 2026 date.