4th of July cargo theft spike expected

Well, we’ve got another long holiday weekend coming up. Time to fire up the grill, crack open a cold one, and enjoy a little R&R with family and friends.

Of course, you know who won’t be kicking back over the 4th of July weekend? Crime syndicates.

According to CargoNet, over the course of the past five Independence Day holidays:

• An average 25 theft events have been reported each year
• The value of stolen cargo has averaged $145,699
• 42% of cargo thefts occurred on a Friday or Saturday
• Cargo thefts increased by 123% last year over 2019

This year? We expect the criminal element to be out in force.

The economy is now opening back up, volumes of high-value and specialty freight are once again hitting the highways, and—with many businesses closed or lightly staffed over the 4th of July weekend—cargo thieves will have an extra day to make valuable loads disappear.

Complicating matters further, cargo theft is simply not a law enforcement priority. With limited investigative resources, the likelihood that a load is recovered post-heist is slim.

There are a whole host of proactive cargo security measures supply chain professionals can put in place to protect their valuable loads—and they should. But no combination of best practices and tech can prevent every theft.

It’s an arm’s race, after all.

Crime syndicates are leveraging increasingly sophisticated social engineering and cutting-edge technologies of their own. And, they’re not burdened by scruples.

It’s why we recommend the freight industry fully protects its cargo to prevent unsustainable losses.