Top 10 U.S. Counties for Cargo Theft Incidents Revealed

NILES, IL--(Marketwired - Dec 20, 2016) - The top 10 U.S. counties where cargo theft incidents are reported was topped by Los Angeles County, with 329 thefts reported spanning July 1, 2013, through July 1, 2016. More than a third of those took place at a warehouse or distribution center (DC). The list was compiled with data from CargoNet^®, a Verisk Analytics (NASDAQ: VRSK) business, and AFN Logistics.

The complete list of counties where cargo theft occurred most frequently is as follows:

1. Los Angeles County, CA
2. Dallas County, TX
3. San Bernardino County, CA
4. Cook County (Chicago), IL
5. Miami-Dade County, FL
6. Harris County (Houston), TX
7. Tarrant County (Arlington/Fort Worth), TX
8. Middlesex County (Edison), NJ
9. Will County (Bolingbrook), IL
10. Riverside County, CA

Theft by Location
The most common place that reported cargo theft incidents occurred among the top 10 counties was in or around warehouses and DC facilities. The breakdown of theft locations is as follows:

1. Warehouse/DC: 329 thefts
2. Other: 295
3. Parking lot: 170
4. Secured yard: 166
5. Unsecured yard: 120

Other theft locations cited in the research include truck stops, side of the road, carrier or terminal lots, drop lots, and ports of entry.

Protecting Your Cargo
"Cargo theft continues to be a pervasive issue," said Anthony Canale, general manager of CargoNet. "Our 2015 year-end report indicated 881 incidents of cargo theft took place across North America. That increased from 844 cargo thefts reported in 2014 and accounted for more than $175 million in goods. While thieves continue to get more tech-savvy with their approaches, there are measures that can be put in place to stop them, ranging from proactive deterrence tactics to extensive recovery assistance."

Having a multilayered security approach and being a step ahead of thieves are the best ways to avoid cargo theft incidents. Here are some measures by which to do so:

• Screen employees -- Conduct background checks to screen drivers, warehouse employees, and anyone who has access to shipment information and logistics details. This is the first line of defense against theft.
• Take advantage of technology and put in-transit security measures in place -- This can include vibration sensors, geo-fencing, tamper alarms, and remote paging. Also as part of your in-transit security plan, set guidelines for drivers, such as asking them not to stop within the first 200 miles (or four hours), using secured lots, and avoiding theft hot spots.
• Have a risk management team in place -- Whether it's in-house or a third party, having a dedicated risk management team will help you avoid theft. Or if something is stolen, this team will help you respond to the incident and recover the goods quickly.
• Know who your recovery network is -- Having open lines of communication with multiple modes of law enforcement helps you quickly report theft information so recovery efforts can be activated promptly.
• Be informed -- Knowing where and when thefts most commonly occur, as well as what items are commonly targeted, is critical for proactive avoidance.

"Our shipper customers at AFN have experienced zero monetary losses for freight handled through our High Value/High Risk Program since its inception in 2010," said Michael Meeks, AFN's director of risk management. "Knowing how common cargo theft is and how savvy these thieves have become, we're extremely proud of this fact and expect the trend to continue. It goes to show that having a third-party ally to serve as a watchdog and risk management/response team can make or break a business's ability to avoid falling victim to theft."

CargoNet is a national database and information-sharing system managed by crime analysts and subject matter experts. To learn more, visit www.cargonet.com.

AFN Logistics is a freight brokerage, third-party logistics, and transportation management services provider. To learn more, visit www.loadafn.com.

Methodology
The data reported for this research was gathered between July 1, 2013, and July 1, 2016. The three-year time span was chosen because it provides a larger, more illustrative data set. 

About AFN
Serving the needs of major manufacturers, top-20 retailers, and best-in-class carriers in North America since 2003, AFN is an award-winning leader in freight brokerage, third-party logistics, and transportation management services. Known for its commitment to client service, AFN has a robust suite of people-first, technology-enabled solutions -- from truckload, LTL, and consolidation services to risk management, carrier compliance, cargo security and surveillance, and more. To learn more about AFN, please visit http://www.loadafn.com or call 1-877-562-3236.