According to FreightWatch International, holiday periods are “notorious” for higher risk of cargo theft – and the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday is one of them.
Since 2010, the cargo security firm said three thefts per day occur during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend; an increase of 27% over the annual average of 2.4 thefts per non-holiday day throughout those years.
“Organized theft rings are always active and recognize that holiday weekends can lead to shipments being unattended for prolonged periods of time,” the firm noted.
FreightWatch added that there were 12 reported cargo theft incidents during the 2014 Thanksgiving weekend totaling over $930,000 in reported losses, including two “fictitious pickups” in California, which is one of the latest tactics being deployed by thieves to steal freight.
Other notable cargo thefts recorded by the firm during previous Thanksgiving holidays include:
- 2014 – Full TL theft of $560,000 in cosmetics in North Carolina;
- 2013 – Facility theft of $648,000 of alcohol in the state of Washington;
- 2013 – Full TL theft of $250,000 worth of Seafood in New Jersey;
- 2012 – Full TL theft of $540,000 worth of Copper in Illinois;
- 2012 – Full TL theft of $200,000 in electronics in California.
This year, FreightWatch said electronics plus clothing and shoes are expected to be targeted more by thieves during Thanksgiving, with home and garden products supplanting food and drinks as the most stolen product type.
