We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
  • INDUSTRY PRESS ROOM
  • SUBMISSIONS
  • MEDIA FILE
  • Create Account
  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Newsletters
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
  • STRATEGY
  • GLOBAL
  • LOGISTICS
  • MANUFACTURING
  • PROCUREMENT
  • VIDEO
    • News & Exclusives
    • Viewer Contributed
    • CSCMP EDGE 2022 Startup Alley
    • Upload your video
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • White Papers
    • Webcasts
    • Events
    • Blogs
      • Reflections
      • SCQ Forum
    • Mobile Apps
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
  • STRATEGY
  • GLOBAL
  • LOGISTICS
  • MANUFACTURING
  • PROCUREMENT
  • VIDEO
    • News & Exclusives
    • Viewer Contributed
    • CSCMP EDGE 2022 Startup Alley
    • Upload your video
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • White Papers
    • Webcasts
    • Events
    • Blogs
      • Reflections
      • SCQ Forum
    • Mobile Apps
Home » July 4th holiday puts supply chain on high alert for freight theft

July 4th holiday puts supply chain on high alert for freight theft

Cargo thieves will seek to exploit extended business closures this upcoming holiday to steal more cargo, especially computer electronics, experts warn.

Screen-Shot-2021-07-01-at-2.22.25-PM.png
July 1, 2021
Victoria Kickham
No Comments
Transportation, logistics, and supply chain professionals should be on high alert this coming weekend as extended business closures signal a green light to cargo thieves, experts caution.

The warning comes in the wake of a recent CargoNet study revealing a record high level of theft last July 4th weekend, when activity rose 123% compared to 2019 to reach its highest level in four years. With extra time to get away with their crimes, thieves will target both in-transit freight and warehouse inventory again this year, with computer electronics as the most at-risk items.

“In previous years, household goods and food and beverage items were the most commonly targeted commodities. This would include items like appliances, toys, alcoholic beverages, and seafood,” according to CargoNet analysts. “The Covid-19 pandemic has caused shortages and price inflation of specific goods, and we think the items most affected—like computer electronics—are the items most at-risk this holiday.”

CargoNet reviewed theft data between July 1 and July 7 for the previous five years for its June 23 report. There were a total of 127 theft events reported in the analysis period, or an average of 25 per year. The average stolen shipment was worth $145,699 per event, and 42% of theft events occurred on a Friday or Saturday, according to the report. California, Texas, Florida, and Illinois recorded the most thefts over the five-year analysis period, and the analysts said those states remain the most at-risk this year. They also pointed to an increase in full truckload cargo theft across the South and Midwest.

Scott Cornell, transportation lead and crime and theft specialist at Travelers Insurance, attributed much of the 2020 cargo theft increase to the pandemic and its effects on the U.S. economy.

“We know that when we see anything impact the economy as a whole, we’ll see some significant shifts,” he said, pointing to a more than 60% increase in cargo theft during the second quarter of 2020, at the peak of the pandemic.

Coming into 2021, Cornell said the overall number of thefts was decreasing, but he also pointed to a shift in targeted items, echoing CargoNet’s data on computer electronics.

“We’ve seen significant trends toward computers, laptops,” he said, pointing to CargoNet’s data showing thieves targeting full truckloads of computer electronics from warehouses in California. CargoNet has recorded over 50 thefts of electronics shipments in the state since this past September, and thefts have increased 89% when compared to the previous year. On average, each full truckload theft event was worth $595,928 and each partial truckload $197,157, according to CargoNet.

Supply chain professionals can implement risk mitigation strategies to avoid the increased dangers this holiday weekend and for the longer term. Those include arranging for same-day delivery of short-haul shipments, embedding covert tracking devices, and using high-security locks to prevent trailer burglaries, according to CargoNet.

Cornell agreed and added that Travelers recommends a “layered” approach to security when it comes to combating cargo theft.

“A layered approach means [having] good processes and procedures first,” he said, adding that it should be “the foundation for everything you do.”

That foundation includes:
  • Educating employees and training all staff on what cargo theft is, what the current trends are, and raising general awareness of the problem;
  • Using a “red zone” rule, in which the driver doesn’t stop within the first 250 miles or so of pick up, which Cornell says can help cut down on thefts;
  • Using high-quality locking devices and avoiding loading trucks too early;
  • Making sure loads are stored in secure lots;
  • Implementing technology solutions, including covert tracking devices, which can be used in trailers and inside cargo;
  • Having a formal response plan in place in the event of a theft.
    Although the long weekend will allow thieves more time to steal cargo and more time to get away with their crimes, Cornell says he expects the large increase in thefts recorded last year to slow in 2021.

    “I think we’ll see some pullback; [we’ll] see the numbers level out,” he said, adding that second-quarter data on cargo theft will offer a good indication of where the trends are heading, especially as the economy reopens from the pandemic. “The more open we get, the more we’ll see things go back closer to pre-2020 [levels].”
Logistics Trucking Warehousing
KEYWORDS CargoNet Travelers Insurance
    • Related Articles

      July Cowen/AFS Freight Index: High fuel surcharges, seasonal factors to prop up transportation costs

      Top 10 Supply Chain Threats: Sean Maharaj from Aarete on the threat of holiday peak season stress

      Freight capacity pinch will continue into 3rd and 4th quarters, 3PL forecasts

    Victoria Kickham, an editor at large for Supply Chain Quarterly, started her career as a newspaper reporter in the Boston area before moving into B2B journalism. She has covered manufacturing, distribution and supply chain issues for a variety of publications in the industrial and electronics sectors, and now writes about everything from forklift batteries to omnichannel business trends for Supply Chain Quarterly's sister publication, DC Velocity.

    Recent Articles by Victoria Kickham

    Logistics industry growth slowed in April

    Logistics industry growth slowed in March

    Logistics industry growth continued in February

    You must login or register in order to post a comment.

    Report Abusive Comment

    Most Popular Articles

    • Report: Sagging freight stats show that trucking sector is returning to its historic mean

    • Survey: parcel delivery drivers are frustrated by using their own smartphones for work

    • Heavy transport across two continents

    • Survey: most Americans unaware that truckers face shortage of parking spaces

    • Supply chain executives not yet seeing expected results from technology investments

    Featured Video

    20221107korber large vs

    Enhancing Customer Experience with Your Supply Chain Strategy

    Viewer Contributed
    With the rise of e-commerce, many businesses have had to transform their warehouses to handle online orders in addition to regularly scheduled inventory shipments. This means warehouses need more information than ever before to ensure they can meet customers' needs. As a result, companies need to select warehouse...

    FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

    • Three layers of forklift safety: Promoting operating best practices

    • The Complete Guide to Automated Packaging

    • Five tips for parcel success in 2023

    • Guide to Pallet Rack Safety

    View More

    Subscribe to Supply Chain Quarterly

    Get Your Subscription
    • SUBSCRIBE
    • E-NEWSLETTERS
    • ADVERTISING
    • CUSTOMER CARE
    • CONTACT
    • ABOUT
    • STAFF
    • PRIVACY POLICY

    Copyright ©2023. All Rights ReservedDesign, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing