Reported cargo theft rises 5% in Q2 as Southern California remains a hot spot

Cargo thieves targeted 605 loads across the United States in Q2, a 5% increase from Q1 but a 5% drop compared to the previous year. May saw the highest share, constituting 35% of the activity. California and Texas remained the primary hotspots, with California accounting for 34% of the reports and Texas 18%. Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and Illinois followed with 13%, 10%, and 8% respectively.

Electronics were the most targeted goods in California, while home and garden products, electronics, and building or industrial materials were most often targeted in Texas. Electronics represented 23% of all recorded cases in Q2, followed by miscellaneous cargo at 20% and clothing and shoes at 10%. Electronics taking the top spot made up 53% of the activity.

Mixed and miscellaneous shipments led the electronics category, followed by batteries and panels. Miscellaneous cargo experienced a sharp rise of 38% from the first quarter and 84% from the same period last year. Clothing and shoes also saw a 25% increase quarter-over-quarter and 4% year-over-year. The highest share of incidents occurred on Fridays, with early morning activity (midnight to 6 a.m.) accounting for 28% of reports.

Warehouses, truck stops, and rail sites drew attention, with pilferage being the most common event type at 46%. Full truckload theft followed at 21%, and facility theft represented 16%. Deceptive pickup made up 11% of recorded activity. Texas led full truckload theft reports. Southern California, within 200 miles of Torrance, saw 37% of U.S. thefts, with nearly seven in ten cases occurring within 50 miles of the city.

The leading method in the Southern California zone was pilferage, accounting for 45% of cases, while deceptive pickup rose from 24% to 28%.