According to FrieghtWatch International, holiday weekends are notorious for an increase in cargo theft, because organized cargo theft rings know that holiday weekends mean that many loads will be left unattended for an extended length of time.
Over the Labor Day weekend of 2013, cargo text increased 30.8% over non-holiday weekends. FreightWatch states that pharmaceuticals, electronics, food, alcohol, tobacco and clothing were the most commonly stolen items.
Freight Watch recommends that trucking professionals take extra precautions to secure cargo, including reviewing safety protocols and making sure they’re comprehensive and up to date.
“Also, in order to mitigate criminal’s attempts to exploit cargo at rest, double check that receiver’s hours of operation for the holiday weekend are consistent with scheduled delivery times. If available, covert tracking and active monitoring of high value shipments is highly recommended recommended as it has proven to be the most effective protocol to mitigate in-transit theft,” FreightWatch advises.
From FreightWatch:
Below is a sample of recorded thefts over Memorial Day Weekend 2013:
- San Antonio, TX, FTL Theft of Seafood
- Fontana, CA, FTL Theft of Televisions
- Ontario, CA, FTL Theft of OTC medications
- Victorville, CA, FTL Theft of Apparel
- Townville, SC, FTL Theft of Energy Drinks
- Palmetto, FL, Deceptive Pickup of Produce
- Delanco, NJ, Deceptive Pickup of Meats
- Orlando, FL, FTL Theft of Aluminum
- Shelby Township, MI, FTL Theft of Beverages
- Ontario, CA, FTL Theft of Seafood
- Summit, IL, FTL Theft of Baby Food
- Belle Glade, FL, FTL Theft of Vitamins
- Hutchins, TX, FTL Theft of Tires
- Fontana, CA, FTL Theft of Energy Drinks
- Redlands, CA, FTL Theft of ATVs
- Fontana, CA, FTL Theft of Appliances
- Paterson, NJ, FTL Theft of Sporting Goods