Nearly 200 cargo thefts occurred across the United States and Canada in the first quarter of 2017, averaging $149,522 in losses per event, according to cargo theft reporting firm CargoNet.
The estimated total loss value for the quarter was $28.7 million, the firm says. Additionally, there were 339 trucking vehicles stolen, including 137 tractors and 143 trailers. CargoNet also notes theft of intermodal equipment such as chassis and containers dropped more than 50 percent compared to the first quarter of 2016.
Of the 192 cargo thefts recorded in the quarter, 51 of them were in California, leading all states. Behind California was Ontario, Canada, displacing Texas from the No. 2 spot it normally holds. Ontario had 29 cargo thefts in the quarter, an increase of 262 percent from the first quarter of 2016.
Nearly a quarter of cargo thefts occurred in secured trucking yards, which CargoNet defines as fully-fenced yards where the fence is designed for access control. Warehouse locations were the next most targeted with 32 thefts.
The top-targeted commodities were food and beverage products, which accounted for 31 percent of all reported cargo thefts in the quarter. Household items were next with 15 percent of thefts.