Either cargo theft is a growing problem or it’s a problem that’s getting more exposure. Regardless of which is the chicken and which is the egg, the amount of freight that isn’t making it to the final destination is staggering.

Despite thieves becoming more creative in the ways they illegally obtain loads, there are some people out there who believe these thefts can be prevented with a little foresight.

While fleets are in the position to do most of the preventing, there are things drivers can do to help combat the growing problem too. And growing it is.

According to FreightWatch International‘s bi-annual cargo theft report, the amount of stolen cargo that was reported in the U.S. increased by 5 percent during the first half of 2010, compared to the first six months of 2009.

Not only is the increase itself a little alarming, but it’s an increase from a record year for cargo thieves in 2009. According to FreightWatch’s year-end report, there was an average of 72 heists per month in the U.S. — a 12 percent increase from the year before.

In Canada the numbers aren’t so clear.

"We know, in the insurance industry, that only one of six thefts are reported to us," says Greg St. Croix, senior vice-president with Marsh Canada. "In the GTA/Mississauga/Scarborough triangle — that’s known as the shopping triangle for cargo theft — $500,000 a day is stolen. The GTA is the epicenter of cargo theft."

In case you were wondering, that’s $182.5 million worth of freight each year. There are other urban centres in Canada where cargo theft is on the rise, namely Montreal and Vancouver, says St. Croix, and if you add it all up, it’s a problem costing Canada between $5-9 billion each year.

As well as a number of thefts going unreported by carriers, another issue when it comes to putting an exact number on cargo crime is the way it’s reported.

Police departments don’t actually have a separate reporting procedure for cargo theft. In most instances it just gets reported as "theft over" and is then lumped in with other valuable burglaries.

Not only that, but there are very few officers working anything resembling a "cargo theft beat."

"Most police don’t understand the trucking industry," says Sgt. Rob Ruiters, national manager of the RCMP’s Pipeline/Convoy Program. "There are some who are very educated, but most cops don’t know much about trucks, which makes it difficult to follow up.

This is where Ruiter’s program comes in. The program teaches law enforcement to detect travelling criminals of all types because, at some point or another, criminal activity ends up on the road. And believe it or not, after doing some investigative research, it turns out criminals on the highway have different tendencies than law-abiding citizens.
 

Thieves aren’t picky when it
comes to freight. It’s all a target

The program launched in 1994 and for the past five or six years has been focusing on cargo theft. In total, the program has helped recover almost $4 billion from the transportation system.

Even with enhanced police work, it might take changes in how cargo thieves are punished to really combat the crimes. One of the reasons, it’s suspected anyway, cargo crime is attractive to criminals is its low-risk, high reward nature.

"It’s not a crime against a person, it’s a property crime and crimes against people take priority," explains Ruiters. "We don’t have the capacity to do as thorough of a job as we’d like. Organized crime groups know this. It all adds up to a perfect storm."

ALL GOODS ARE GOOD

"There’s nothing specific being targeted," says St. Croix. "The common belief is electronics and pharmaceuticals get stolen more, but it’s also toilet paper and food that are being taken. If it’s on a truck, it’s targeted."

In fact, this year food and beverages surpassed electronics as the most heavily hit by thieves.

Many stolen goods get warehoused until a buyer is found, while some of the more expensive items — like electronics — can get packed in containers and shipped overseas quickly. Toilet paper and foodstuffs meanwhile can easily make their way into corner stores and flea markets. Because of today’s economy everybody is looking for a bargain and it’s incredibly difficult to trace a bottle of ketchup, says St. Croix.

While the criminals don’t seem to be picky on the type of freight they steal, their techniques are becoming more systematic.

Rather than shoving a weapon in the face of any trucker who happens upon a poorly lit parking area (not that they’re always safe places to be anyway), most criminals will try to make sure they get a trailer with something inside.

By following a trucker after a load is picked up, or eavesdropping on truckstop conversations, criminals will simply hitch your trailer to a stolen rig when you turn your back for a few minutes, whether it’s to use the washroom or grab a bite to eat.

Another increasingly popular tactic is posing as a broker or assuming a company name to steal freight.

The criminals will find a load, back right up to the dock or trailer, and drive off. They could be hundreds of miles away before anybody is the wiser.

Of course, not all criminals care to be so sly. "Drivers are, unfortunately, becoming more interventionist," says St. Croix. "The criminals are confronting people more and more. It seems like they’re impervious to fear and they do it without shame."

One scam along those lines is for a passing motorist to wave at your front tire, so you think it’s low on air. Then when you pull over to check on it, they steal your load.

"Wait until you are at a truckstop or a rest area with other vehicles [to check such things]," St. Croix advises. "Not everybody is out there to do you good."

A few other tips to keep your load out of criminal hands and deliver it safely:

• be aware of your surroundings

• don’t talk about loads on the CB or in the truckstop

• get theft awareness and hi-jack training

• keep your doors locked

• avoid unsecured locations when parking or dropping equipment

• watch for unusual activity on the road

• walk around your rig to look for foreign objects attached to it

• stay on planned routes

• don’t stop in the first 200 miles of a trip

• don’t stop on the side of the highway

• park in proper places

"It’s uncanny how many trucks get parked in back lanes with no lights. I wouldn’t even park my car there," notes St. Croix.

Unfortunately, however, even if you take preventive measures you could become a target. If you become the victim of cargo theft try to get as much information as you can, like the size of the person, skin colour, clothing, vehicle used. But by all means, stay out of harm’s way.

"Never risk your personal safety, not for a load of diapers," adds St. Croix.