As part of its priority research on the growing problem of cargo theft, the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) is asking motor carriers and brokers to participate in a new data collection initiative.
Cargo theft, which has evolved from thieves simply stealing cargo to sophisticated impersonation schemes, is becoming more common, according to some industry stakeholders. In March 2024, ATRI’s Research Advisory Committee, citing FBI statistics that indicate $15 billion to $30 billion is lost to cargo theft annually, voted to prioritize research on the topic.
While the problem of cargo theft is growing, many industry stakeholders are hesitant to publicly provide cargo theft data. ATRI’s survey is designed to confidentially and anonymously collect accurate loss data, as well as identify successful counter-strategies used by motor carriers and freight brokers.
“Cargo theft is a pervasive issue that won’t go away without a collaborative effort,” Ben Banks, TCW vice president, said in a news release. “With accurate cargo theft data, our industry will be able to quantify the issue, and work more effectively with law enforcement and commercial insurance to combat this costly problem.”