During the past five years, the Fourth of July weekend has one of the highest rates of cargo theft for any weekend of the year, according to FreightWatch International.


Holiday weekends are notorious for high volumes of cargo theft activity, especially at terminals and drop yards where loaded trailers are parked for long periods of time, says Dan Burges, senior director, intelligence. This amplifies the need for logistics professionals to ensure their security protocols are up to date and in line with industry best practices.

For warehousing operations, ensure your security alarm systems are functioning properly. FreightWatch also recommends the following:

- Treat all alarm trouble signals as an intrusion alarm
- Do not rely on a backup (cellular/radio) system
- If primary alarm fails assign security officer to patrol facility exterior or have a member of management remain at the facility

For in-transit operations, FreightWatch recommends drivers remain vigilant and maintain communication with their dispatch when stopped at high risk areas such as truck stops and rest areas. Loads should not be dropped or left unattended for any reason.