Trucking news and briefs for Friday, Sept. 29, 2023:
CargoNet recorded 582 cargo thefts worth nearly $45 million in the second quarter of 2023.CargoNet
Much of the increase owes to ongoing shipment misdirection attacks, a kind of strategic cargo theft in which bad actors use stolen motor carrier and broker identities to obtain freight and misdirect it from the intended receiver so they can steal it.
In total, thieves stole over $44 million in shipments in the second quarter of 2023 and the average shipment value per event increased nearly $100,000 to $260,703 as cargo thieves focused on high-value shipments.
In the second quarter, theft of a loaded conveyance such as a full trailer increased 17% year-over-year. These kinds of thefts were most common in California, Texas, Florida, and Illinois. CargoNet also noted that regional activity around New York City and Philadelphia was significant.
Burglary of a loaded conveyance decreased slightly year-over-year due to the impact of recent law enforcement activity but still remains a significant threat to shipments, especially high-value shipments that are traveling on the I-40 corridor through Arizona, California and New Mexico.
CargoNet has also seen significant growth in extortion and theft by conversion schemes, particularly from organized groups in Illinois and California. These groups focus on obtaining shipments from brokers, tacking on extra and often exorbitant fees for various manufactured reasons like overweight tickets or previous rate penalties charged to non-affiliated motor carriers. Criminal enforcement for such cases is complex and rare, which has emboldened organized groups.
