Industry insider urges drivers to be aware of cargo theft with holiday approaching

November 22, 2022

Ryan Witkowski

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The Thanksgiving holiday can be a well-deserved break for drivers as the industry heads into a busy shipping season. That much-needed downtime also gives thieves a perfect opportunity to strike.

The spike in cargo theft around the holiday isn’t a new phenomenon. CargoNet is a Jersey City, N.J.-based data- and information-sharing company working with carriers and law enforcement to combat cargo theft. According to their data over the past five years, the total loss value of stolen cargo around Thanksgiving is approximately $7.1 million.

As part of its annual report – which the company says is used by industry professionals to mitigate theft risks – CargoNet analyzed cargo theft data from the Tuesday before Thanksgiving to the Monday after Thanksgiving for the past five years. Over that time, there were 118 recorded theft events, with an average stolen shipment value of $183,891.

While the company says that thieves covet a wide variety of cargo, shipments of televisions, major appliances, vehicle tires, and alcoholic beverages were among the highest targeted loads.

The top three states where thefts were reported in the analysis were California, Illinois, and Texas. In addition to these areas, CargoNet says their analysts are also concerned about these regional theft trends as we approach the holiday:

  • Sophisticated identity fraud and cargo theft schemes targeting truckload shipments of solar panel modules, tree nuts, small appliances, and designer apparel in Southern California.
  • Theft of loaded trailers of high-end consumer electronics, apparel, housewares in Kentucky and neighboring states.
  • Theft of loaded trailers and containers of building materials, apparel, appliances, and food products in Eastern Georgia, Southern Georgia, and Northeastern Florida.
  • Theft of loaded trailers of food and alcohol, apparel, and other various goods in Northeastern Pennsylvania, Northern New Jersey, and New York City.

According to CargoNet, thefts were most common when the driver had parked in large parking lots, like that of a big-box retailer.

The company says it took an average of one day for a victim to notice their property had been stolen – increasing to over two days if the property was left unattended the day before Thanksgiving. Theft reports were most frequent the Friday after Thanksgiving.

Some of the measures suggested by CargoNet to deter theft include:

  • Making sure that both security managers and drivers have accurate license plate, VIN, and descriptive information for tractors, trailers, containers, and container chassis. Police agencies will need this information to open an investigation in the event of an incident. Drivers should keep this information on them so they can quickly reference it if their truck is stolen.
  • Secure all trailers (loaded and unloaded) with high-security ISO 17712- compliant barrier seals in combination with hardened padlocks. Use king pin locks for unattached trailers.
  • Secure all tractors with high-security locking devices, such as air-cuff and steering column locks.
  • Remind drivers to arrive at the point of pickup well-rested, showered, and fed and with a full tank of fuel.

CargoNet says that drivers can protect against cargo theft by not leaving your vehicle or shipment unattended in insecure locations, especially within 250 miles of pickup. Additionally, drivers should be aware of any vehicles that appear to be following them from the point of origin. LL