Truck driving, without a doubt, is one of the most important career opportunities within the United States as the industry accounts for moving 70 percent of cargo along with an incredible 56 percent of America's gross domestic product (GDP). This translates to an industry worth $725 billion and employing 1 in 16 people.
While to many a trucking job may seem like the perfect opportunity, drivers still face a vast swathe of dangers that impact their daily life. Dangerous weather and road conditions are one thing, but recently there has been an increase in cargo theft in the news. Recently, cargo theft has come back into prominence as three men were convicted in Georgia on Tuesday for a case occurring on November 23, 2014.
According to police, the men stole a semi truck which contained around $150,000 worth of batteries. District Attorney Brett Poston stated that it was the Miami Dade Cargo Theft Task Force and the GBI Major Theft Unit who were able to properly identify the three men to some of the missing property and then to the stolen vehicle and other property. Even though most drivers usually take necessary precautions before leaving their trucks, it does not guarantee the cargo safety.
Due to the sheer number of cargo theft and attempted cargo theft occurrences, authorities in the Georgia-Florida area are highly trained to deal with such cases. While this trio of cargo bandits have been caught and found guilty, it is far from fixing the problem of cargo theft.
Truckers, no doubt, have to be some of the most hyper-observant drivers on the road to ensure their safety, as well as the safety of others and their cargo – no matter the price. By taking precautions and ensuring they understand how to protect their cargo, it is much less likely they will become victims to cargo theft. While there is absolutely no excuse for people who decided to put others at risk in order to steal from others, it becomes a very obvious reality that no semi truck is safe from becoming a victim at any time.
Catherine Payne
Thank you for such an informative article! I have numerously faced various cargo theft cases as I work in the trucking industry and I must say it really poses a threat to drivers.
Ronald Chen
Catherine PayneThank you for your comment! Yes, it’s a real threat and our company is developing ways of fighting it. Stay tuned to know more about it!
Philip Bowman
Your blog helped me prevent several cargo theft cases in my company. I’m looking forward to your forthcoming articles as they are very informative and interesting.