$28.7 Million in Cargo Stolen in First Quarter, CargoNet Says
Since Jan. 1, there have been 358 reported supply chain risk incidents in the United States and Canada, according to data from CargoNet.
Of those cases, 58% involved stealing a truck, 54% included cargo theft and 7% were related to fraudulent schemes such as identity theft or wire fraud.
In total, 192 cargo thefts were reported with an average value of $149,522 or about $28.7 million for the first quarter. Among the truck thefts, there was a relatively even split of trailer and tractor thefts. Theft of intermodal chassis and containers dropped more than 50% year-over-year.
Secured yards were the most common location where cargo thefts occurred in the first three months, followed by warehouses and parking lots.
Food and beverages were stolen in 31% of the cargo thefts, the most frequent commodity. Meat was the most stolen item, ahead of nonalcoholic and alcoholic beverages. Cargo theft experts say that these items are attractive to criminals because they are easy to depose and once the item is consumed, the evidence is gone.
California remained the top state for cargo thefts in the first quarter. The Canadian province of Ontario was second.
