Cargo thefts down 9%, first decrease since 2009

   According to CargoNet’s “2013 Annual U.S. Cargo Theft Report,” the number of stolen freight incidents decreased by 9 percent last year, the first industry-wide decrease since 2009.
   CargoNet has listed Schneider as having a 20-percent decline in truckload thefts for 2013, the seventh consecutive year the company has posted declining numbers.
   Schneider, in a press release issued Thursday, attributed the decline to security methods such as communication with shippers, drivers and owner-operators; disciplined operating procedures; and technology.
   Director of Safety and Enterprise Security Walter Fountain elaborated by saying, “Ours is a three-prong approach: We address expectations during onboarding; we regularly communicate the locations and types of thefts that are occurring; and we incorporate cargo theft preventable measures into our quarterly training sessions.”
   CargoNet’s Vice President of Business Development Sal Marino applauded Schneider for its seven-year streak.
   “In the transportation industry, cargo security protocols and procedures are unfortunately not as stringent as they should be,” he said. “Schneider, however, clearly understands the value of putting in layers and redundancies in cargo security in order to strengthen their supply chain security program.”
   Schneider reported other findings from the report, including:

• Food/beverage thefts increased by about 30 percent in 2013, making it the most stolen commodity
• Fictitious pickups increased by 44 percent in 2013
• Full-truckload pharmaceutical thefts jumped by 50 percent in 2013