Estimated $223M in cargo stolen in 2022
Supply chain risk events in the U.S. and Canada increased 15% in 2022, according to CargoNet.
An estimated $223 million in cargo was stolen in the United States and Canada in 2022, according to a recent report from CargoNet. The 1,778 supply chain events recorded in 2022 show an increase of 15% from 2021, and these disruptions had an effect on inflation over the year as shortages drove prices higher.
The most targeted areas, according to the data, were California, Texas and Florida, with those three states making up nearly half of all supply chain theft in 2022. Warehouses, distribution centers and parking lots were the most frequent locations for these events.
Thieves were most interested in household items, including appliances and furniture. Computer electronics theft in 2022 dropped 37% from 2021, but the theft of televisions and other types of displays almost doubled, and overall electronics came in a close second behind household items for the most stolen products.
Along with this data, CargoNet also presented a warning for those in the supply chain industry to mitigate their risk of fictitious cargo pickups, which also increased in 2022. This kind of scam “relies heavily on subcontracting the shipment to a legitimate motor carrier and having the shipment misdirected to another address” and often involves shipments of items like solar modules, auto parts and vehicle maintenance products.
Fictitious cargo pickups have effects that ripple through the entire supply chain, and CargoNet recommends logistics brokers and shippers help mitigate these events by:
- Using contact information on file with the FMCSA to verify bids on shipments
- Exercising caution with new customers who ask to transfer money through peer-to-peer apps in exchange for the business blind-hauling a shipment to an address that varies from that on the bill of lading – especially if the address is a public warehouse or cross-dock in California.