Cargo theft in the U.S. is 15 percent lower in 2017 when compared to 2016, along with a negligible increase in average loss value year-over-year, reports recording firm SensiGuard.
However, the dip in reported incidents doesn’t mean there a lower high risk of theft in the industry. The firm adds that instead, thieves are homing in on specific loads that can be easily stolen or target specific products.
For the first time in eight years, food and drinks were not the most-stolen products in a year. Home and garden items topped the list in 2017.
In-transit thefts were most common in 2017, accounting for 78 percent of all recorded thefts during the year. Pilferage was the second-most common type of theft during the year, accounting for 15 percent of all thefts. Fictitious pickups saw a dramatic decrease in 2017, falling by 39 percent to account for just 3 percent of thefts. This decrease, SensiGuard says, was a result of the number of arrests, especially in Southern California, of cargo thieves.
Additionally, 75 percent of thefts in 2017 occurred in unsecured parking locations, including public parking areas, truck stops and drop lots.
Theft of full truckload incidents accounted for 78 percent of all thefts in 2017, followed by pilferage, accounting for 15 percent of thefts.
California continued to lead the nation in cargo thefts in 2017, accounting for 28 percent of thefts in the year. Texas came next with 16 percent of thefts, followed by New Jersey (11 percent), Florida (9 percent) and Georgia (9 percent).