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.
On Independence Day weekends, the average value of cargo that was stolen was $257,016. Nine separate thefts were valued at over $250,000.
“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. Both will be heavily targeted over the weekend,” FreightWatch recommends.
“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.
Notable Thefts from Previous Fourth of July Weekends:
- $2.5 million FTL theft of cell phones in Miami, FL
- $406K FTL theft of medical equipment in Duval, FL
- FTL theft of Rx/Scheduled medication in Troy, IL
- $80K theft from trailer of OTC medication in Cedar Rapids, IA
- $500K facility burglary of televisions in Medley, FL