Cargo theft isn’t a new problem. This type of crime has probably been around since boats and roads were first invented. But the pirates and highwaymen of the past were small-scale compared to today’s international crime syndicates. Thanks to globalization, cargo theft and the black market commerce that follows after have become an international problem.
“It’s big money, and when that happens, those thefts, insurance carriers are having losses, trucking industry are having losses, and those costs get passed onto the public,” said police detective Wayne Browning of Fort Worth, Texas.
In 2013, the US saw 79.25 cargo thefts each month on average, FreightWatch said. That’s 2.6 thefts per day. Thefts of pharmaceuticals rose 50 percent from the year before, while thefts of certain foods more than doubled – probably because these loads ride with lower security.
The average value per load stolen came in at $171,000. High-value loads, though, amounted to much more. Stolen loads of electronics, for example, averaged $397,000 in 2013. Last year, they averaged $417,250.
When and where is it worst?
California saw the most theft recently, and Texas was a close second, followed by Florida, Georgia and Illinois. New Jersey and Pennsylvania weren’t far behind.
As for when, there are a few patterns to look for.
1. Watch the weekends. CargoNet said that last year, most theft took place between Friday and Sunday. Most fictitious pickups happened on Thursday.
2. The last quarter is the worst. In 2014, over $18 million of cargo was stolen in the fourth quarter alone.
3. Spring and fall had their moments too. June and September saw spikes in 2013 theft. For the last three years, CargoNet has seen a spike over Memorial Day weekend as well.
“It really is huge,” said Xavier Spencer, a California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer. “We estimate nationwide that it’s a $35 billion loss annually just in cargo theft and obviously that only involves the cargo theft that we’re made aware of. A lot of these thefts are not reported.”
Who commits cargo theft, and how do they do it?
Thieves use several methods to steal cargo, said NBC Bay Area. One tactic is to commandeer a vehicle while the driver is taking a break at a truck stop. Another is simply to pull up to an unmanned container, attach a cab and drive away. Thieves may also break into the trailer and transfer the contents out by hand.
As for who does it, the Cargo Theft Interdiction Program of CHP said that “cargo theft operations are often times run by organized crime, and international in scope.”
And the problem is on the rise, partly because it imposes a relatively small penalty on thieves who get caught. NBC said a person might face only six months in jail for cargo theft, whereas someone stealing cocaine might be sentenced ten years.
Clearly, cargo theft is a problem, and businesses who are hit with related losses are hit hard. Point being? Make sure your shipments are insured by LogisticsInsurance.com.
