Cargo thieves are becoming more “strategic” about how they target cargo loads and transportation companies, according to insurance experts.
A range of new cargo theft tactics are being deployed to help thieves take better “control” and thus mitigate the risks of the crimes they are trying to commit, Sam Rizzitelli, national director for transportation at Travelers Inland Marine division, told Fleet Owner magazine.
Scott Cornell, national program manager for the Specialty Investigations Group or “SIG” with Travelers Investigative Services, explained that these new “tactics” fall into three categories: identity theft, fictitious pickups and misdirected loads/fraudulent carriers.
“They are trying to adjust their methods to develop better ways to get away with cargo,” Cornell noted. Rather than commit “straight theft,” where loads are physically stolen from parking lots or terminals – and risking getting spotted and/or potentially be involved in a high speed chase – he said cargo thieves are trying to be more “strategic” about thefts so they can better pinpoint and steal specific types of cargo.
These strategic kinds of thefts are a result of more technology with greater access to information within the transportation industry and the involvement of more ‘intermediaries’ throughout the supply chain, Rizzitelli added. “
Data tracked by FreightWatch International indicates that the actual volume of loads stolen in the U.S. during the second quarter this year declined, while the overall value of those loads increased, states the article.
To successfully combat such scams, Rizzitelli stressed that crafting the “right relationships” between carriers, shippers, and third party logistics providers is more critical than ever. “By that I mean, are carriers and shippers developing shared protocols around pickup procedures?” he explained. “Are there verifications in place to confirm the identity of specific drivers? Do shippers have procedures to verify the carriers that will be hauling highly targeted high value goods are who they say they are?”
Want to learn more about combatting cargo crime? Join the Canadian Trucking Alliance for the first Project Momentum workshop, an initiative to raise awareness and combat the growing threat of cargo crime in the high risk corridor along Highway 401. Click here for details and to sign up for free.
