Always use warp to zero, and if you absolutelly have to carry some high value stuff, run a few test flights with a shuttle and try to map the best route, that is the route that requires less alligning between jumps even if it takes you extra jumps. You may find that warping to a sun/planet and warping from there to the gate can break your allign time by doing half the turn to get to the planet/sun and the other half to get to th gate. This will cut down the time you're sat around as a sitting duck.

I did some statistics on Freighter Ganks in Uedama last month...

There were 50 ganks between the 3-31rst of March. 48 seemed to be suicide ganks. 4 were ganked empty (due to bad standings with goons), 4 were ganked because they had double-wrapped packages, 4 were ganked with a cargo between 0.4-3b isk.

In general, your chances of getting ganked are very slim... and if you carry under 1b isk in cargo, your chances are extremely slim (i.e.you'll have a better chance of being struck by lightening!).

With this in mind, there are a few points I suggest above and beyond the "don't be a loot pinata" rule. If you are carry a blingy load, the options below help reduce your risks:

A.) The safest means when carrying valuable cargo is to use a web-to-warp scout. You need to be traveling at 75% of max velocity to enter warp, and webbing your ship instantly reduces it's max velocity, but doesn't instantly reduce your max speed. Using 60% webs (t2 or meta 4 or various faction), 2 webs will reduce the max velocity of a freighter from ~100 m/s to ~19 m/s, and 13 m/s with 3 webs. 75% of this speed is 10 m/s, which takes only a few seconds to achieve. Carefully timing the webs allows you typically enter warp before anyone can bump you... but can be inhibited by a suicide tackler.

B.) Another method is to enter suicide gank systems in an unexpected manner. For example, if you're traveling to Amarr from Jita, you generally go through Niarja. The autopilot typically has you travel Amar -> Ashab -> Madirmilire -> Niarja. Don't jump directly from Madirmilire to Niarja... but instead go Madirmilire -> Bahroma -> Niarja. You could still get ganked in Niarja, but usually scouts don't "follow" your progress (yet), so they will generally be setup on the Madirmilire gate rather than the Bahroma gate in Niarja, Which allows you to bypass their suicide camp.

C.) Another method to use is to dock up prior to entering a suicide gank system. For example, if you're traveling jita to amarr through Niarja, set your destination to Kaaputenen and dock up there for 15 minutes or so. In general, your ship's assets are scanned earlier in the pipe so suicide gankers have time to prep an attack. They generally gank in 0.5 systems, as concord takes the longest to respond in these systems. By taking the break, they may assume you dropped off goods, or took a different route... and may write you off as a target. The longer the break, the more effective this technique works... and if truly AFK hauling (while at work, or asleep), breaking the trip into 2 parts (Part 1: Amarr -> Madirmilire, dock up/log off. Part 2: Log on, manually fly through Niarja, Autopilot to Jita), you're unlikely to be a target as no-one will have recently pre-scanned you prior to entering Niarja.

Also, check the ships and modules forum for freighter fits to maximize EHP.