Holiday weekends are of notoriously high risk for manufacturers and logistics-related organizations. Organized cargo theft rings will be extremely active in the coming days, as more shipments are left unattended for extended periods of time due to the long holiday weekend.
During Memorial Day weekends in the past, the FreightWatch International Supply Chain Intelligence Centre has recorded elevated theft levels up to 40 percent higher than non-holiday weekends. The 2015 Memorial Day weekend recorded a record-high 15 cargo theft incidents averaging in excess of $600,000.
Additionally, the SCIC has recorded a recent spike in cargo theft activity of electronics and cosmetics in the past five weeks with some losses exceeding $3 million. Targeted products included televisions, cell phones, and laptop computers with three of the incidents occurring in Southern California, and perfume and cologne thefts along the eastern seaboard.
FreightWatch International recommends that logistics and security professionals ensure security protocols are up-to-date and in line with industry best practices for both in-transit and warehouse operations, as both will be heavily targeted over the holiday weekend. Also, in order to mitigate criminal attempts to exploit cargo at rest, the company suggests confirming that a given receiver’s hours of operation for the holiday weekend are consistent with scheduled delivery times. Covert GPS tracking and active monitoring of high-value shipments are highly recommended, as they have proven to be the most effective protocols to both mitigate in-transit theft and facilitate successful recovery of stolen product.
Notable thefts over Memorial Day weekends since 2013:
California, full truckload of apparel, $300,000
Florida, full truckload of medication, $300,000
South Carolina, full truckload of cosmetics, $200,000
Florida, full truckload of televisions and displays, $800,000
New Jersey, full truckload of perfume, $2,500,000
California, full truckload of notebook computers, $400,000
Pennsylvania, full truckload of copper, $600,000
New Jersey, full truckload of tobacco accessories, $600,000
