CargoNet notes that reported cargo theft incidents dropped from 1,098 in 2013 to 844 in 2014. But although total cargo theft incidents were down, the average loss value of the cargo per incident increased to $181,681. Among all cargo thefts in the United States during 2014, cargo was most often stolen from warehouse locations, due in part to a significant amount of fraudulent pickups in the trucking industry. Following warehouses, truck stops were the most common location for U.S. cargo thefts, with 130 recorded. In 2014, Georgia recorded the most cargo thefts (26) from truck stops.
During 2014, $89.5 million in stolen cargo in the United States was reported to CargoNet, and the average loss value per incident increased to $181,681 from $143,957. Electronics losses were the costliest. Each cargo theft of electronics cost an average of $549,539 and totaled more than $42 million for the year. 2015 Forecast CargoNet’s Command Center expects to see more than 200 cargo thefts in first-quarter 2015. So far, more than 120 incidents have been recorded, and 9.5 percent have been high-value thefts in excess of $500,000. Often, organized cargo theft syndicates stalk the shipments from the point of origin. Those groups are known to pursue trucks for hundreds of miles while waiting for a trucker to leave his vehicle unattended. Truckers should frequently make sure they’re not being followed, especially by a car with multiple occupants and out-of-state plates.