According to Verisk’s CargoNet system, cargo thefts in the United States and Canada fell 15% year over year in 2021, with an estimated $58 million in cargo stolen last year.
The cargo theft database and information-sharing system recorded 1,285 supply chain risk events in both countries. Of those, 55 percent involved theft of at least one heavy commercial vehicle, like a semi-trailer or intermodal chassis or container, and 54 percent involved theft of cargo or attempted theft of cargo.
CargoNet predicts that theft activity will remain high in 2022. According to Verisk, the numbers may have dropped in 2021, but remain higher than in previous years. The average value of stolen cargo was $172,340, an increase from $164,000 in 2020 and $139,000 in 2019.
Last year, California remained the top state in terms of reported cargo thefts, with a 13 percent increase year over year. The Golden State experienced more sophisticated attacks on computer component shipments across the Bay Area and its southern coast.
Texas and Florida are also among the top three targeted states, accounting for nearly half of all theft in 2021. Texas experienced a 15% increase in theft activity, while Florida experienced a 6% increase.
Cargo thieves’ top two targets were electronics and household goods. Electronics saw a 34 percent jump in thefts last year. According to CargoNet, thieves are increasingly targeting consumer electronics shipments, particularly computers and accessories. Thefts of household items dropped from 2020, likely due to the increased demand for cleaning supplies and paper products that year.
The top targeted locations for cargo theft were truck stops and warehouses.
“We continue to be concerned about the increase in rail thefts and targeting of computer electronics shipments shipping from California, as well as a breakout of full truckload cargo thefts spreading across the eastern half of the United States,” CargoNet noted in a statement. “CargoNet continues to track these events and work with law enforcement agencies across the country to share information and recover stolen vehicles and goods.”