🎣 Why These Freight Commodities Are Highly Sought After by Thieves

Happy International Seal Day. Always make sure your seals are intact and your freight is in secure hands. In today's feature, we focus on cargo theft in recent months and why a couple of commodities are highly sought after by thieves.

Today's Newsletter is Brought To You By **Armstrong Transport Group**.

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🐔 WHAT’S COOKIN’ IN FREIGHT

Photo of Triton Logistics semi after the crash. Source: **Wavy**.

🚚 Manipulated Log Books Caused Fatal Crash. In Williamsburg, VA, a truck driver involved in a fatal collision on Interstate 64, which occurred 15 months ago, has accused his employer, Triton Logistics, of manipulating electronic log books to falsify rest times. This serious allegation has sparked an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. The driver claims that the company had a method for altering electronic driving logs, leading to questions about the safety practices at Triton Logistics following the deadly incident.

👨‍⚖️ P44 Vs. FourKites. project44's defamation suit against FourKites barrels into the next round. A 2019 email scandal accusing project44 of financial and accounting improprieties, intimidation, and ties to organized crime has led to a lawsuit filing. project44's digital detective work linked the defamatory emails back to FourKites, bringing about an intense legal battle. After a judicial back-and-forth, the Illinois Supreme Court has given the green light for a trial.

💻 Top 10 Logistics Disruptors. Anthony Sundström (who also curates a Finnish freight newsletter) shared his top 10 picks for companies that are changing the freight industry globally. From Einride to FourKites, learn which top 10 logistics disruptors are steering the industry toward smarter, more sustainable, and seamless supply chains.

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Highly Sought Out After Freight Commodoties by Thieves

Overhaul predicts national cargo theft volumes will see an increase of 35%. Image Source: **Overhaul Cargo Theft Report 2023**

New data is out on cargo theft for the last quarter of 2023. Unsurprisingly, there are more increases, especially in food and beverage. Let’s serve up some more details and expert insights on this growing trend:

The Latest Stats: Cargo thefts have spiked by 68% in Q4 2023, according to data from CargoNet. As thefts ramp up, thieves are getting more strategic and leaving businesses and their insurers to deal with the fallout.
Food and Beverages: Food and beverage commodities are highly targeted, with thieves making off with everything from avocados to high-end meats and spirits.

Recent Food Heists

Overhaul data shows Food & Drinks as the second most stolen commodity in 2023. Image Source: **Overhaul Cargo Theft Report 2023**

Meat Heist: Pallets of meat worth around $20,000 were stolen from a pair of parked trucks in Northeast Philadelphia.
Nuts About Theft: Approximately $70,000 worth of pistachios were stolen from a trailer in Wilmot Township, Ontario, in January. In the same region, a load of walnuts worth $73,000 disappeared, only to be found and then partially pilfered again.
Boozy Loot: Earlier this month, boxes of Weller Bourbon were stolen from a tractor-trailer in North Philadelphia as the driver slept. At the scene, scattered boxes of salmon and cod were also found.

Nearshoring: New Risks

Nearshoring to Mexico offers the proximity advantage but also places valuable cargo closer to well-organized theft rings that view these shipments as prime targets.

The allure of reduced transportation costs and shorter supply chains may come with the increased risk of theft, demanding a delicate dance between efficiency and security.

Why Food, Though?

Food is easy to sell and harder to track than other goods. Plus, with rising food prices, a truckload of nuts is a jackpot.

More tech, more problems: With advances in technology in the food and beverage supply chain, new windows have opened up for thieves to intercept cargo along its route.

Image Source: **Overhaul Cargo Theft Report 2023**

Experts Offer Prevention Tips

Watch for Warning Signs: Be vigilant of recent changes to a carrier’s information. It could be your first clue to prevent a heist, advises Scott Cornell, a transportation lead and crime and theft specialist.
Join Forces: Theft of avocados is just the start. Harden your supply chain by connecting with the security community, recommends Danny Ramon from Overhaul. It's about making the logistics chain a collective fort rather than isolated silos.
Park Smart: Mike Yarwood from TT Club highlights a simple truth: Secure parking is a rare gem. Knowing where to park can be the difference between safe delivery and a cargo catastrophe.

Sources: FreightWaves | The Loadstar | The Star | Food Institute

TOGETHER WITH TURVO

Invite your shippers, carriers, and partners on to your Turvo Network to share, communicate, and solve supply chain issues in real time. Turvo’s unique collaboration technology unifies people, processes, and data, bringing together everyone involved in a shipment for 100% visibility, better on-time deliveries, and a superior customer experience.

Join companies of all sizes using Turvo’s TMS Platform, Mobile App, and the most popular Driver App in the industry. Ask For A Turvo Demo Here.

AROUND THE FREIGHT WEB

🚛 March Freight Market Update. Arrive Logistics once again released a great, in-depth report on the market. Learn how the market is doing by clicking here.

🛡️ Transfix Launches Fraud Fighter. Transfix Inc. introduces Transfix Shield, incorporating RateCon Shield and Facility Shield, to combat identity fraud. The tools are designed to safeguard the interests of shippers, carriers, and brokers, addressing a problem that costs the sector up to $800 million annually.

🚚 Data Drive. The Biden administration's real-time supply chain tracker, FLOW, developed in partnership with giants like Walmart and Target, is expanding to monitor inland freight movements. This initiative aims to gauge consumer demand and inflation more accurately.

⚖️ Charged Up. FedEx and MSC could face $11 million in fines over allegations of unfair charging practices to shippers.

📊 Index Insight. February 2024 saw the Logistics Manager's Index hit 56.5, showing a period of expansion across all sub-metrics, including Inventory Levels and Warehousing Capacity.

FREIGHT CAVIAR CORNER

FreightCaviar is launching a shipper database & CRM for freight brokers called ShipperCRM. We've been relatively quiet about the project since October 2022, but are now ready to share with you something truly special.

Join us on April 9th as we unveil ShipperCRM 2.0. Head over to ShipperCRM.com to learn more.

FREIGHT MEME OF THE DAY

Also, check out:

🎧 The FreightCaviar Podcast. Listen to this week's podcast on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.
🎧 The Bootstrapper's Guide to Logistics is a podcast that highlights and inspires supply chain entrepreneurs, sharing their stories and building a community from the ground up.
Want to get your brand noticed by freight brokers? FreightCaviar can help. Work with us to get your services featured in our newsletter, podcast, and more. Plus, we write great articles about what you do. Get in touch with Paul at pbj@freightcaviar.com to learn more.