Cargo Theft, estimated to be 35 billion a year.

Slo-Ride

Veteran Expediter
Kinda just a reminder. Stay aware.
When parking with freight on your truck don't think this wont happen. The article touches on how one carrier is reconsidering how they leave freight unattended.
I think most carriers have some kinda rule in your contract as to how you are liable and under what conditions to leave your vehicle unattended when parked.

It is the costliest crime in America, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Organized crime drives it, money fuels it, and it has gone international. It happens nearly three times a day somewhere in America, and in California it happens twice as often as anywhere else in the nation.

Pirates on the highways: Cargo theft costing nation billions - U.S. News

Cargo Theft: Pirates On Our Highways | NBC Bay Area
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
I was at a truck stop recently where a tractor trailer driver got fuel, pulled forward like you're supposed to, and then went inside for a few minutes. He went back outside to find someone had driven off with his truck.

Might not matter with some trucks, since a small number of keys fit a large number of trucks, but it might be wise to lock the truck whenever you are not in it, even at the fuel islands.

With cargo vans and cars it's not a good idea to pull up un front of a convenience store and run in real quick with the motor running and the vehicle unlocked, especially if there's someone just standing there outside, loitering, waiting for that to happen. Seen that happen once, too.
 

OldGuy

Active Expediter
When hauling a load worth more than a house, it's wise to take as many precautions as possible to ensure it arrives undamaged and intact.


I'd have a stroke if I ran in and came back out to find my rig is nowhere in sight.

*run* may be too strong of a word, perhaps more of a hobble lol.
 

moose

Veteran Expediter
while all of the above is correct and good advice..
It's a scare tactic placed to harass truckers. simple as that.
magically enough they never say how often a trucker was responsible for the freight.
most of those thefts occur at costumers, rail yards & drop yards.

don'tch you love it when the FMCSA allow us to get a letter from the carrier re-leaving us from responsibility of the cargo & all duty's so we can show line one or 2 on the log while having freight onbord , yet we are NOT allowed to move the rig, because we are babysitting the load.
whats with that ?

tell you a nice story, about 3 years ago, a loaded trailer, belong to the carrier i was leased to at the time, was stolen from a California drop yard.
38,000 pounds of 'best buy' stuff.
we all received a QC message for the look up.
3 nights later an O/O spotted the trailer # at 4 am in Georgia back roads GOING THE OPPOSITE WAY, as he was stopped at a stop sign.
the driver called police, and the freight was recovered.
2 weeks later i was in the yard, watching the driver receiving a 10,000$ check from the insurance company .
 

cheri1122

Veteran Expediter
Driver
Yep, it's the insurance companies who suffer the losses of cargo theft, a [generally] nonviolent crime. So I'm wondering whether they pay any part of the cost of devoting 10 CHP officers exclusively to this issue? It's the same question for 'art thieves' - don't the insurance companies have investigators to find the culprits?
On a related subject, why are state troopers escorting oversize loads? Is there a reason for it that I'm not aware of, and who pays their salaries? And isn't it a waste of the training they've received, to do what a 'pilot car' often does?
I admit I'm not terribly knowledgeable on the subject, but seeing state troopers escorting oversize loads seems a mismatch between job requirements & personnel performing them, if not an abuse of taxpayer funds, so why is it done?
:confused:
 

Slo-Ride

Veteran Expediter
And isn't it a waste of the training they've received, to do what a 'pilot car' often does?
I admit I'm not terribly knowledgeable on the subject, but seeing state troopers escorting oversize loads seems a mismatch between job requirements & personnel performing them, if not an abuse of taxpayer funds, so why is it done?
:confused:

I cant answer your Q but wonder the same thing about the construction zones..Like we dont have enought to watch for we gotta try and see thru those blinding lights on the squad cars sitting there doing nothing.
Maybe its just,,Busy work since all the crack heads,dope houses,and missing felons have been rounded up?? Or maybe its OVER TIME work for the police unions??
 

cheri1122

Veteran Expediter
Driver
Construction zones I understand, as citations may need to be written for drivers who don't slow down. And with the fines in the exorbitant range [saw one in NC today advertised as $2500] they want an airtight case behind them.
Escort duty, though, puzzles me.
 

xiggi

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Yep, it's the insurance companies who suffer the losses of cargo theft, a [generally] nonviolent crime. So I'm wondering whether they pay any part of the cost of devoting 10 CHP officers exclusively to this issue? It's the same question for 'art thieves' - don't the insurance companies have investigators to find the culprits?
On a related subject, why are state troopers escorting oversize loads? Is there a reason for it that I'm not aware of, and who pays their salaries? And isn't it a waste of the training they've received, to do what a 'pilot car' often does?
I admit I'm not terribly knowledgeable on the subject, but seeing state troopers escorting oversize loads seems a mismatch between job requirements & personnel performing them, if not an abuse of taxpayer funds, so why is it done?
:confused:

Some states have laws requiring police to escort certain oversized loads. My thinking is because the public will pay more attention to them than just a pilot car. The shipper pays for the escort and i believe it is off duty cops but am not sure of that.

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layoutshooter

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
We have been escorted by armed NYPD officers. They were not in police cars nor did they have strobes.
 

Slo-Ride

Veteran Expediter
Shipper paying for the escort does make sense..
Go figure, even the police dept. is in the business of making money. Running a private/public Escort service ;)
 

Ragman

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
We have been escorted by armed NYPD officers. They were not in police cars nor did they have strobes.

022212sweepy.jpg
 

layoutshooter

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
Funny. In reality they were kinda young and a bit cocky and snotty. They made no effort to hide the fact that they were armed. They lacked wisdom.
 

Deville

Not a Member
I'm not surprised about NJ. When FEDEX had Pfizer we were in & out of there at all hours of the day. Guys were getting jacked left & right. Then FEDEX eliminated solo runs over 200 miles, they wanted every run to be non-stop or if stoped than a team had to be in the truck.
 
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