Cargo theft trends shift amid emboldened criminals

Transport Topics is reporting a shift in goods being swiped by cargo thieves, an indication of criminals directly targeting the trucking industry. Crime rates had leveled during the pandemic but are slowly going back to “pre-pandemic activity”. The VP of Operations at CargoNet told Transport Topics that what he’s “seen in the last year is organized crews” and that they “are really going after electronics, gaming, cellphones and those types of things”. This is a change from the loads of hand sanitizers and household cleaning items during the pandemic. Data shows incidents have increased by 11 thefts.

Thieves are focusing on more valuable and riskier loads, specifically targeting full truckloads. It’s becoming more of an organized crime that could lead to an even greater increase in incidents in the future. The organization of these crimes is becoming more intricate and tech driven, using tacticslike identity theft and fake loads. Some have impersonated trucking companies to steal loads and so much more. It is vital to the industry for everyone to be aware of these incidences and how to avoid them, from operations and logistics all the way to the actual truck drivers.