The average cost of stolen goods in 2021 is $ 144 438

Numerous cargo delays in US ports and a heavy workload in the supply chain created all the conditions for cargo`s thefts in 2021.

“Delays across the entire logistics infrastructure are causing idling of containers and cargo not only in ports but also outside ports, increasing the likelihood that they will be targeted by criminals,” said to FreightWaves Ron Green, vice president of business development in Overhaul.

Cargoes, which finally leave abandoned ports, are targeted by aggressive attacks from criminals who are eyeing containers filled with everything from household appliances to electronic goods, clothing and other stuff.

Union Pacific recently notified about a series of break-ins of freight containers as cargoes were shipped from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach through downtown Los Angeles.

It`s expected that cargo moving from the West or East Coast to other regions of the country will get stuck in some railroad locations.

“According to the railroad protocol, some trains must give way to other trains,” Coughlin said. “They can often be in the middle of the desert, but they have to stop and let another train go in a different direction. And at this time, cargo thefts also occur.

Cargo idle not only creates more opportunities for thieves, but also makes it harder to protect transit cargo, according to Scott Cornell, transportation, crime and theft specialist at Travelers.

Cargo theft statistics vary, but it’s generally noted that freight-related crime ranges from $ 15 billion to $ 30 billion annually in the United States.

CargoNet, which monitors freight theft, reported a total of 359 supply chain thefts and fraud in the US and Canada in the third quarter of 2021, down 2% from the same period last year.

In the third quarter of 2021, there were 294 accidents involving trucks or freight vehicles.

According to Keith Lewis, CargoNet’s vice president of operations, the number cargo thefts rose in 2020 amid the pandemic.

CargoNet reported 1502 cases of theft last year as the pandemic began disrupting supply chains. This is compared to 1106 thefts incidents in 2019 and 1181 in 2018.