The Case for Bad Intentions (in Cargo Security)

“Wait—Jeff Bezos Wants Me to Have Bad Intentions?”

It sounds almost shocking, doesn’t it? Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon and renowned for transforming logistics and operations on a global scale, famously declared: “Good intentions don’t work.”

At first glance, it’s a provocative statement. Your eyebrows might lift. “Should I be operating with bad intentions instead?” Not exactly. Bezos’ insight is deeper, and far more practical: good intentions alone simply aren’t enough. Real change requires mechanisms—tangible systems designed to enforce actions and outcomes.

Let’s consider the world of cargo security. Most executives mean well. Every CEO, COO, and logistics VP wants secure, reliable deliveries. No one intends to lose cargo, compromise sensitive shipments, or create vulnerability within their supply chain. Yet theft, pilferage, and losses still happen, repeatedly. Why?

Because visibility alone—the favored buzzword of modern logistics—is exactly that: good intentions without a mechanism. Knowing where your trailers are is beneficial, but visibility doesn’t physically stop someone from walking off with your goods. Visibility doesn’t immobilize your truck when it senses unauthorized movement. Visibility, at its best, merely documents the crime. It doesn’t prevent it.

That’s where Admiral enters the stage. Admiral is not simply about good intentions—it’s a practical, scalable mechanism. It embodies Bezos’ principle: it’s a system that actively prevents unauthorized movements and secures cargo by enforcing protocols in real-time.

Imagine a scenario: it’s late at night, and your trailer loaded with valuable electronics is parked at a rest area. Visibility tools let you see exactly where it is—right until the moment it disappears. With Admiral, the moment there’s an unauthorized attempt to move the trailer or access its contents, the mechanism kicks in. Doors lock automatically. Brakes engage independently. The cargo remains secure. The incident is not only logged, it’s prevented.

In our earlier infographic, we highlighted scalability as the ultimate challenge of security. Manual processes and good intentions can’t scale efficiently. They falter under pressure, leaving vulnerabilities in their wake. Admiral addresses scalability by turning every trailer into a self-guarding asset—no additional labor or supervision required. The mechanism is embedded, automatic, and self-enforcing.

In the logistics world, intentions matter—but mechanisms deliver. Jeff Bezos wasn’t advocating bad intentions; he was urging leaders to move beyond hopeful promises to implement effective, scalable systems. Admiral embodies this wisdom, providing a tangible solution that transforms your intentions into guaranteed outcomes.

So, keep your good intentions—just make sure they’re backed by Admiral’s mechanism. Because good intentions alone will never protect your cargo, but Admiral certainly will.

So why did we make the case for bad intentions?
Well—if good intentions aren’t enough, what are we left with? Bad ones? Not quite. What we’re really left with is a choice: keep hoping your intentions hold, or build mechanisms that don’t care what anyone intends. Because thieves don’t care about your policies. And trailers can’t read your memos.

Admiral doesn’t rely on good intentions. It assumes the worst — and that’s what makes it the best.

Ready to move from good intentions to great outcomes?
If you’re responsible for cargo security, and you’re tired of systems that only tell you what went wrong after the fact, let’s talk. Admiral gives your trailers the power to protect themselves — no wishful thinking required. Reach out and let us show you how.