The summer months saw a drop in cargo thefts compared to the second quarter, but there was a slight increase in the theft of electronics, auto/parts and pharmaceuticals, according to numbers compiled by FreightWatch International.


In June, July and August, FreightWatch recorded a total of 188 thefts, with 62 thefts in June, 62 in July and 64 in August.

These figures make for an average of 63 thefts per month. The average value of thefts for the period of June-August was $139,172, a 5.6% decrease in average value from the second quarter of 2012, according to the most recent release of the FreightWatch Cargo Theft Report.

Food/drinks was the most-stolen product category in the last three months, with 37 thefts. Products in this category include soft drinks, coffee and frozen meat. Auto/parts suffered 23 thefts, including thefts of tires, automotive parts and oil.

There were 21 thefts in the electronics category, including televisions, computers and cell phones.

The food/drinks category continued to be the most stolen cargo in the months of June through August; however, its percentage decreased slightly through the last three months as thefts, in general, decreased.

Despite the recent decrease in overall thefts in the months of June through August, there has been a slight increase in the theft of electronics, auto/parts and pharmaceuticals.

From June to August 2012, California had the most thefts at 46, accounting for close to 24% of all thefts. Texas had 33 thefts (17%) and Florida 22 (12%), making them the second and third most popular states for cargo theft in the second quarter.

Unsecured parking was the location with the most thefts for those incidents with a recorded location. Secured parking had the second-most theft occurrences, with about half as many thefts as in unsecured parking.

Following usual trends, incidents involving theft of trailers were seen most often, accounting for 78% of all thefts during this quarter. Thefts involving deceptive pickups rose slightly, making up 7% of all thefts in the months of June through August.