Trucking news and briefs for Friday, May 21, 2021:
Plan ahead for increased Memorial Day cargo theft activity
Cargo theft recording firm CargoNet says it expects a “significant threat” to freight transportation this upcoming Memorial Day weekend.
The firm reviewed data from 2016 to 2020 for the Thursday prior to Memorial Day to the Wednesday after. There were 143 events reported with an average of 29 events per year.
Additionally, activity for the 2020 Memorial Day weekend increased 35% from the same weekend in 2019. The stolen cargo in each event was worth an average of $308,308 – due in part to five thefts that exceeded $1 million in stolen goods.
CargoNet says 20% of recorded thefts occurred on Friday, and a significant number of thefts also occurred on Sunday (16%) and Monday (15%).
CargoNet has recorded 143 cargo theft incidents over the five previous Memorial Day weekend periods with California, Florida and Texas being the most active states.
