The July 4th holiday weekend poses high risks of cargo theft

Over the past five years, Texas, California and Florida have experienced the greatest number of cargo thefts.

The CargoNet study estimates that in the last five years,  $5.9 million in cargo was stolen, with an average value of  $128,416 per theft. (Courtesy Photo)

This July 4 holiday weekend, supply chain businesses face an increased risk of cargo theft, new research warns.

New information from Verisk’s CargoNet firm outlines key trends and risk-indicators for supply chain businesses and cargo theft, indicating the July 4th holiday to be a peak time for theft. Over the last five years, the CargoNet Command Center has seen a rise in reported theft incidents during the July 4th holiday.

From July 1 to July 7, CargoNet researchers found 130 cargo theft events in 27 different states in the last five years. Thefts were most common in Texas, California and Florida. The study estimates $5.9 million in cargo was stolen with an average value of $128,416 per theft.

This year’s study found that a quarter of cargo theft events occurred on the Friday of the holiday weekend, differing from 2018 when most theft events were reported to have taken place on Thursday, July 4.

CargoNet found the two most targeted location types were parking lots and unsecured yards. The top targeted commodity types were food and beverage products, household goods, and building materials.

Key cargo theft indicators

To prevent theft, CargoNet advises that supply chain workers avoid leaving cargo unattended in high-theft areas such as Los Angeles, Dallas–Fort Worth, Chicago, Atlanta, the NYC metro-area and Miami. Should cargo need to be left unattended, businesses and truckers should consider parking in high-security locations with active security services, secure fences, and high-visibility lighting.

Additionally, CargoNet’s data indicates that over the past five years, several sophisticated warehouse burglaries have occurred over the Fourth of July holiday in northern New Jersey and the Miami and Las Vegas metro areas. Operators in these areas, in particular, should consider alarm systems for facilities.

Noteworthy thefts from previous July 4th holidays:

Tips for supply chain businesses to defend against cargo thieves

To help supply chain businesses defend against theft threats this holiday weekend, CargoNet researchers offered additional detailed security tips to protect against fraud and cargo theft. Including:

In-transit cargo security tips:

(Photo: CargoNet)

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