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Cargo Safety

May 3, 2023

Cargo theft has reached an all-time high in the United States as thieves continue to improve the processes in which they illegally obtain certain goods. The most common theft continues to be physical, targetedattacks on areas such as loading docks, parking lots, or truck stops across America. Strategic Theft, when a thief is strategically planning a way to coerce and obtain the goods without a struggle, is on a continuous rise. The most common forms of strategic theft include entity theft, double brokering scams, fictitious pickups, and a continual evolution of new lucrative ideas that these thieves make. 

When it comes to top commodities being stolen, it is important to look at the current state of the economy because the types of goods and the avenues being taken to steal goods are ever-changing. At the peak of the global pandemic, thieves sought to secure household goods that were difficult to obtain as a consumer. The following year they pivoted to electronics due to the stall in the supply chain. According to CargoNet, in 2022, cargo theft increased by 15%, with Q4 facing the greatest impact. In 2023, this year the top target has been food and beverage due to the abnormally high inflation of the cost of goods at a grocery store. 

“Upticks in theft and fraudulent activity traditionally increase in compressed freight markets, this year is no exception,” stated Dylan Dameron, Vice President of Operations. “Axle’s top priority in this climate is risk mitigation through consistent software improvement and continuous training.” 

Although the increasing risk of cargo theft can be scary, there are different actions business owners can take to reduce risk and stress involved with trusting your goods will get to their destination. Here’s how you can avoid cargo theft:

  1. Utilize secured locations
  2. Trailers should always be sealed and connected and locked to a truck
  3. Maintain strong communication among shippers, carrier partners, and transportation providers
  4. Continue to partner with logistics providers that have stringent carrier vetting policies (ask for these policies if you have commodities that are a concern for theft)

Why Partner with Axle Logistics? 

  1. Continuous investment in the latest technology
  2. Third party dedicated carrier monitoring 
  3. Prioritization of relationships with our carrier partners 

Connect with a Logistics Consultant today to learn more about the market and how we can help you.

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