Truck and cargo thefts are on the rise in recent years according to a study done by Freight Watch International, a company that “actively tracks and records cargo theft activity around the globe” and offers “on-site risk management officers (RMOs), electronic freight security (EFS), manned escorts, supply chain-security risk assessments, and more” according to their report and website. Every year they release a report showing not only the number of cargo-related thefts, but they identify trends from year to year. The statistics are a bit scary, and getting scarier every single year.
Cargo Thefts On The Rise
According to the Freight Watch International report:
“In 2009, FreightWatch recorded an average of 72 cargo theft incidents per month, 859 cargo theft incidents total, a 12% increase from 2008. Of the 859 incidents, which are primarily full truckload thefts, FreightWatch recorded 36 warehouse burglaries (4.1%), and less than 2% (13) were hijackings, as cargo theft in the United States is almost exclusively a non-violent crime.”
What Are Cargo Thieves Primary Targets?
Cargo thieves are mostly looking for fully loaded trucks or dropped trailers that are unattended. They watch truckstops, terminals, drop-lots, warehouses, and manufacturing plants for unattended high-value freight and attempt to steal the entire tractor trailer or the dropped trailer. According to the report:
“Once a trailer is loaded and left unattended, the cargo theft gang quickly moves in. For locations that preload and stage trailers or use drop lots, cargo thieves are finding these locations to be just as accessible as truck stops, especially lots that are unsecured.”
What Products Are Cargo Thieves Targeting?
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Electronics appear to be the favorite target amongst cargo thieves. Freight Watch International stated that other similar reports done by other companies may show food and drinks as being number one, but that’s because the electronics are being divided into categories (TV’s, computer’s, etc). But when lumped together, electronics account for about 23% of all cargo thefts. From the report:
“By volume, the electronics industry suffered the highest number of cargo theft incidents, going from 174 theft incidents in 2008 to 196 in 2009 and accounting for 23% of all cargo theft. The food and drinks industry came in second at 20%, and home and garden items came in third at 10%.”
What States Show Highest Risk Of Cargo Theft?
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According to the Freight Watch International Report:
California, Florida, and Texas topped the list of high-risk states for cargo theft in 2009, and Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania comprised the second tier.”
What Are Recent Cargo Theft Trends?
Cargo thieves are getting more clever and are using modern technologies to help find better targets. They’re finding that even secured lots and distribution centers can be a primary target for stealing freight. According to the report:
“Throughout the second half of 2009, FreightWatch observed a noticeable increase in the number of cargo theft incidents occurring at terminal and distribution center lots as well as trailer drop lots. Traditionally, the majority of cargo theft occurs at truck stops, where drivers leave their loads unattended while paying for fuel, eating, etc. Though truck stops have remained the prime location for cargo theft, secured terminal/distribution center lots have seen a sharp rise in the number of thefts reported.”
Staying Safe On The Road
It has been shown that cargo thieves are generally not at all interested in harming truck drivers, and actually go out of their way to avoid truck drivers altogether. If they can find an unattended tractor trailer or an unattended loaded trailer, they would much rather steal the equipment without interference than try a hijacking.
Obviously no load is worth a driver’s life. If you were ever to encounter a hijacking, give em what they want and run like hell! I’m not going to go out on a limb and tell drivers what they should do to protect their cargo because every trucking company has their own procedures for protecting their freight and drivers. Speak with your dispatcher or safety director to learn the policies and best practices your company is using.
You can download the full report for free here: U.S. Cargo Theft: A 2009 Review. I also hope you’ll click on the button below and to the right to share this on Facebook 
I may be nieve, but how do they know what is in the load… my popcicles may be safe.
Hi Cathy!
You're not naive at all – it's a good question. What the cargo thieves will do is stake out shippers that are shipping high value cargo. They know where the cigarette companies, computer companies, electronics warehouses, pharmaceutical warehouses, and other high value shippers are. They will usually sit nearby and follow trucks as they leave the place loaded. If the driver parks the truck somewhere or drops the trailer and leaves it unattended, that's when they strike.
That's why most trucking companies will insist that once you load a high value load you must drive a minimum of 200 miles before stopping – the thieves will only follow a truck for so long before they give up and go back to follow another one.
They know what's in the load because the THIEVES are working with someone at the Shipper's Loading Dock who is telling them the Truck and Trailer Information and what's in the load. OR, the Thieves drive on the highway with a C.B. and start up a conversation with a driver and say, "so, what are you hauling today?"
I always just say I'm empty and it's a load of "AIR."
Yeah, it's true – those are both techniques they'll use to figure out what you have. With a lot of shippers, you're talking cargo with such a high price tag and such a relatively low amount of risk in getting your hands on it – there's people out there willing to take a shot at it, no doubt. And the worse the economy gets, the greater number of bandits you'll find.
Proud to see my name for last 25yrs being used by new driver's.in their stories.(AMERICAN TRUCKER)
***Trucking is a 1) A SCAM, 2) A FORM OF LEGAL SLAVERY, 3) A SWEATSHOP ON WHEELS and 4) THE CAMPING TRIP FROM HELL! We live like the working homeless! AND THEY SHOULD MAKE THE MOTOR CARRIER OR SHIPPER PAY FOR ALL VIOLATION TICKETS!!! That would get the idiots out of the business INCLUDING the ones who overload trailers. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT WE ARE HUMAN BEINGS! NOT ROBOTS! And everyones stamina and metabolism is different. My biggest beef with the 14 Hour Rule now is that I can't stop and take a nap, a meal break, OR A SHOWER, because it doesn't "stop the clock" anymore. Originally, they let us log a two hour or more "stop the clock break." The 10 Hour Break is okay with me, but an 8 hour break to stop the clock?!?. What Moron came up with that idea. AND, only an idiot wants to work more than 10 hours a day, BUT WE HAVE TO, and we still don't make enough money to justify being away from home for so long. We should get paid for every hour we are gone from home. I've been out of OTR Trucking for 9 months and I'm about to jump back into it because I can't find a decent local job. I've been a CDL A Driver since 1999. Solo, Team, and Driver Trainer.
….but you're going back into it? Either it ain't all that bad, your decision-making is just plain awful, or you're a masochist – you love pain. And how can you make the carriers or shippers pay for all violations? In 15 years I've very rarely ever had anyone load me over gross, and after some experience you can almost always get the trailer loaded with enough balance to be able to get it scaled out on axle weights.
I absolutely agree 100% with you on the 14 hour rule – that was a terrible idea in my opinion. It took away the flexibility we needed to get the job done safely and efficiently based on how we feel from day to day.
I'm a small-town guy – don't tell that to the farmers. Even today I'm not on the road, but I'm up at 4:00 a.m. seven days a week workin my *ss off. Where I come from they call it old-school, blue-collar, hard-working people. Others call us idiots, but we don't mind a bit.
And to be paid for every hour you're away from home would make a mess out of the trucking industry. What would stop a driver from constantly trying to do as little work as possible? You'd be getting paid for doing nothing – who wouldn't want that? Trucking companies get paid when the wheels are turning and so do drivers. Having the same interests is what makes moving freight so efficient in the US. But I approach it differently because I've been a small business owner for a lot of years – I know how incredibly difficult it is to make money no matter what business you're in. If you've never run a business, it's easy to say "We should all get paid ten times as much as we are, even when we're doing nothing!" Run a small business for a couple of years and your outlook on life will change drastically.