FWI: U.S. cargo theft declines

However, reported cargo thefts from California, which accounted for 40 percent of reported incidents in the United States for the second quarter of 2016, surged 122 percent year-over-year.    A total of 166 cargo thefts were reported in the United States during the second quarter of 2016, with an average loss value per incident of $154,184, year-over-year declines of 11 percent and 16 percent, respectively, according to the FreightWatch International (FWI) Supply Chain Intelligence Center’s U.S. Cargo Theft report for Q2 2016.
   No thefts valued at over $1 million were recorded during the quarter, which the FWI said was unusual.
   Broken down by state, the largest number of reported cargo theft incidents occurred in California, which accounted for 40 percent of reported incidents, followed by Texas (19 percent), New Jersey (8 percent), Florida (7 percent) and Illinois (6 percent).
   Reported cargo thefts in California surged 122 percent from the second quarter of 2015.
   Food and drinks were the most commonly stolen product type throughout the nation during the quarter, accounting for 23 percent of reported cargo thefts, followed by electronics (13 percent), and home and garden products (11 percent). Commonly stolen food and drinks consisted of nuts; and sodas, juice, tea and water. Meanwhile, televisions and displays were the most commonly stolen electronics, while appliances were the most frequently stolen home and garden products.
   “As cargo thieves continually adapt to the evolving logistics security landscape, new threats will take shape in the form of new theft methods and new targeted products,” FWI said. “High value alone will not be the determining factor in theft risk to cargo as thieves will adjust to the increased risk and modify their efforts accordingly.”