According to a press release from FreightWatch International, the busiest cargo theft season is upon us.
Historically, the fourth quarter sees increase in cargo theft. In 2013, “theft activity concentrated in the fourth quarter with a cumulative 242 incidents” during the fourth quarter, FreightWatch reported.
Cargo theft begins to rise late in September, just before the holiday shipping season.
“Additionally, the United States has seen a significant rise in driver theft incidents, which involve either direct theft by the driver, the driver’s voluntary collusion or complicity in the crime, or a deceptive criminal posing as a legitimate carrier resource,” FreightWatch states.
In 2013, driver-related cargo theft reached an all-time high, with a 76% increase over the previous year and a 389% increase over 2011.
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.