Woooooo! The first official long weekend of summer is finally here! Our Canadian users will be celebrating Canada Day on July 1 and our U.S. users will be celebrating Independence Day on July 4. Everyone loves a long weekend…especially cargo thieves!
Thefts Increase on Long Weekends
Long weekends are the perfect time for manufacturer and logistics related thefts. Why? Many buildings will be unstaffed as employees are on holiday and trucks transporting goods will be left unattended for longer periods of time than usual.
This year Canada Day falls on a Friday and Independence Day falls on a Monday. According to FreightWatch International, this extension of the weekend will result in longer stage times and lower security staffing.
Crime is on the Rise
In 2015, the FreightWatch International Supply Chain Intelligence Center (SCIC) recorded an average loss value over over the July 4th weekend of $1.1M. This is six times higher than the average value loss over the entire year!
Notable Thefts Over July 4
- 2013 California – Fictitious pickup of produce (no value reported)
- 2013 New Jersey – Pilferage of cigarettes and TVs ($257,000)
- 2014 Florida – Theft of cell phones ($451,000)
- 2014 Texas – Full truckload of meat ($200,000)
- 2015 Oklahoma – Fictitious pickup of cash-in-transit (no value reported)
- 2015 Nevada – Facility theft of computers ($250,000)
- 2015 California – Facility theft of hard drives ($381,000)
- 2015 Washington – Full truckload of cell phones ($5,700,000)
There are some pretty big thefts on this list – almost $6 million in cell phones in one hit!
How to Keep Your Cargo Safe
Everyone who touches these products plays an important role in ensuring their safe delivery to their destination – especially shippers and drivers. Some ways to keep your cargo safe include:
- Ensure safety protocols in-transit and in-warehouse are up-to-date and follow industry best practices
- Double check that the receiver will be there to accept the load when you’re supposed to deliver it (don’t sit and wait)
- Use a tracking system when transporting high value shipments to improve location monitoring
- Don’t leave your truck unattended for long periods of time
- When parking look for a high-traffic, well-lit area with security cameras
- Be aware of your surroundings and watch for anyone/thing that looks suspicious
Hopefully by following these tips you can have a safe, stress-free long weekend! Remember to celebrate responsibly and we’ll see you next week!