Black Friday takes on a whole new meaning for carriers victimized by cargo theft over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Analyzing data over the past five Thanksgiving holidays – from the Tuesday before Thanksgiving to the Monday – CargoNet discovered 137 recorded thefts (an average of 27 per year), and that Thanksgiving 2020 was the most active period in the analysis with 40 thefts recorded.
Cargo thieves targeted shipments of televisions, major appliances, mixed electronics and alcoholic beverages the most during the analysis period, pushing shipment value past $125,000.
Theft reports were most common in states that have cargo theft problems throughout the year, including California, Texas, Illinois, Georgia and Florida.
CargoNet has been tracking heightened activity of full truckload thefts across the Southeast, Eastern Seaboard and Midwest, and evidence points to both planned theft by following desirable shipments from their origin and crimes of opportunity at truck stops along major trucking arteries in these regions. CargoNet considers desirable shipments to include pharmaceuticals, firearms and ammunition, consumer electronics, designer apparel, alcoholic beverages, metals and tires.
In the Southeast, container thefts have increased due to a cargo crime ring actively targeting the Savannah, Georgia-area, according to Keith Lewis, CargoNet's vice president of operations.
"It is important to point out these thefts are occurring near the port – mainly in carrier drop yards and not inside the port. Their method of operation has generally focused on imported refrigerated goods, such as shrimp and other types of shellfish," he said, adding that according to CargoNet's 2021 Q2 Cargo Theft Trend report, food and beverage represents over 30% of all thefts in the state of Georgia and leads all commodity groups in the state.
