Page 7 - Newcom

Editorial
As we prepare to enjoy the holidays,
cargo thieves are preparing to take advantage
As the holiday season approaches, beware the Grinches that are pre- paring to pilfer your loads. Holi- day season is a peak time for cargo theft, according to a new report from Northbridge Insurance, which also sheds new light on the thriving illegal business.
Northbridge was able to pre- pare the report, thanks in part to an increasing willingness within the industry to report such losses. This is partly due to a partnership between the Canadian Trucking Alliance and the Insurance Bureau of Canada, which urges carriers to report thefts and creates a central database that can be analyzed to identify cargo theft trends.
Some recent findings include that grocery and household items are the most sought-after by thieves, and there’s an increasing focus being put on meat products. One such stolen load was worth $200,000. Targeting meat requires a coordinated effort and investment in specialized equipment, which leads Northbridge to believe cargo thieves are also becoming more sophisticated.
Heck, they’re not even always ditch- ing the trailer. Thieves are increas- ingly dismantling the trailer, mak- ing it virtually impossible to recover. While Ontario remains the hot spot for cargo theft, the western provinces
are seeing an increase in stolen lum- ber loads and heavy equipment.
Thieves are also taking advantage of the latest technologies to ply their trade. They will breach online broker sites, select high-value deliveries, and then collect those loads fraudulently using a fake identity. By the time the legitimate carriers shows up to col- lect the load, it’s long gone.
I spoke to Garry Robertson, leader of the Claims Special Investigations
Unit at Northbridge, who authored the report, to find out how fleets can fight back. He says it starts with knowing who’s working for you. Make sure you’re not hiring criminals by doing a thorough background check. Often, these thefts begin with inside information.
Also, instruct drivers not to dis- cuss what they’re hauling or where they’re going. It may seem rude to dismiss such questions at the truck
stop, which usually amount to noth- ing more nefarious than small talk, but thieves will often try to find out as much as they can about a load and its destination before they risk stealing it.
Then there’s the general care that needs to be taken around the yard. Don’t leave the trailer in an unsecure area, ensure only approved individu- als are allowed access to your facili- ties, install cameras, and use GPS and geofencing to quickly identify stolen loads before they disappear for good.
Next month, I’ll report in more detail on the report and what fleets can do to eliminate cargo thefts. But until then, keep in mind, the holiday season, when many of us are relaxing with family and trying not to think about work, is when the thieves are at their busiest. TN
James Menzies can be reached by phone at (416) 510-6896 or by e-mail at james@newcom.ca. You can also follow him on Twitter @JamesMenzies.
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January 2019 • Truck News 7