The second-quarter of 2017 has been a good one for carriers worried about protecting their cargo from theft. CargoNet® logged 296 incidents of cargo theft, trucking vehicle theft, fraud, and other supply chain intelligence into their system during Q2 2017, which is down 53% when compared with Q2 2016.
Almost half of the incidents involved theft of cargo, 58% of the incidents involved theft of a trucking vehicle such as a tractor or semi-trailer, and 9% of the incidents were classified as fraud—often involving identity theft, wire fraud, and sometimes cargo theft.
The highest number of cargo theft events were reported in California, with Texas following next.
$17.2 million in cargo was stolen from the United States and Canada in Q2 2017, down from $35.1 million in Q2 2016. The average value of each cargo theft event in Q2 2017 was $202,774.
Food and beverage products were the most stolen commodity with household items close behind.
Warehouses were the most common location for cargo theft in Q2 2017, with unsecured truck yards following.
Transportation professionals are cautioned to stay guarded because crime will likely increase again