Truck Cargo Thefts Up Significantly During Pandemic

CargoNet reported 1,502 total theft events for 2020. That compared with 1,106 in 2019 and 1,181 in 2018. These numbers include both cargo and vehicle thefts, which can overlap since oftentimes both are stolen. Thefts specific to cargo reached 1,059 events in 2020, compared with 758 in 2019 and 797 in 2018. Vehicle theft events reached 861 in 2020. Before that, they were 676 in 2019 and 810 in 2018.  Additionally, full truckload thefts increased by 25% in 2020.  Another big change last year was Texas overtaking California as the No. 1 state for cargo thefts.  The change was noteworthy because California held the top spot for decades. Both states saw cargo thefts rise in 2020; Texas just saw a larger increase.