Trucking news and briefs for Friday, Dec. 22, 2023:
Protect your cargo over long winter holiday
California and Texas tied for the most cargo theft incidents reported during the last five winter holiday periods.CargoNet
As is typical with most extended holiday periods, cargo theft activity is expected to increase during the holiday period between Dec. 23 and Jan. 2.
Cargo theft recording firm CargoNet reported this week that supply chain theft activity remains extremely high, adding it believes it will continue into the holiday season as experienced cargo thieves will seek to exploit a target-rich environment of unattended trucks and closed warehouses.
CargoNet has reviewed theft data from a 10-day analysis period spanning Dec. 23 to Jan. 2 for the past five years to help supply chain professionals secure their supply chains for the upcoming holiday. In this analysis, there were 205 incidents reported to CargoNet, and the average cargo theft was valued at $121,473. The number of incidents increased progressively each year. Last holiday season, there were 56 incidents reported during this period.
Like previous years, incidents were most common in Texas and California, tied at 18% of total incidents in each state. Incidents in other major cargo theft hotspots remain common. Incidents in Florida tripled from 2021 to 2022. Pennsylvania also saw an increase from none reported in 2021 to five reported incidents in 2022. In Georgia, Illinois, and Tennessee, cargo theft incidents remained consistent year-over-year.
Household commodities such as appliances, furniture and cleaning supplies are the most targeted commodities by cargo thieves. Electronics like televisions and computers were the second most targeted commodity type, but CargoNet noted that commodity preferences closely mimic consumer demand.
Thieves most often stole unattended vehicles and shipments parked at major retail parking lots and truck stops. However, fictitious pickups have become a favored form of theft over the last year, and CargoNet expects fictitious pickups will be a favored form of theft over the holiday period. The firm also noted that incidents at warehouse/distribution centers were a close third to these two categories. This is a common theft location for fictitious pickup incidents.
CargoNet offers the following tips for protecting cargo over the holiday period:
CargoNet
[Related: Cargo theft is skyrocketing. Why is theft on the rise and what strategies are thieves using?]
UNFI drivers vote to join Teamsters
Drivers at two United Natural Foods Inc. terminals have recently voted to join the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. A 189-worker group in Whitehall, Pennsylvania, this week voted to join the union.
UNFI has not yet responded to CCJ requests for comment on recent unionization efforts within the company.
According to the Teamsters, the drivers who joined the union “are seeking improvements to wages and working conditions.” Once the election is certified, Local 773 will begin proposal meetings and start the bargaining process for a first contract.
The win in Pennsylvania follows recent unionization votes at UNFI locations in Iowa, Connecticut, California and Washington state, where drivers voted last week to join the Teamsters.
The Teamsters now represent more than 4,000 members at UNFI nationwide.
[Related: Drivers at three 10 Roads Express terminals vote to unionize]
Iowa harvest proclamation extended again
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has once again extended a harvest proclamation in the state, which allows certain agriculture haulers to exceed 80,000 pounds gross.
The proclamation is now effective through Jan. 11. It was first issued Sept. 11 and has been extended in one-month increments since.
It allows vehicles transporting corn, soybeans, hay, straw, silage, stover, fertilizer (dry, liquid and gas), and manure (dry and liquid) to be overweight (not exceeding 90,000 pounds gross weight) without a permit for the duration of the waiver.
This waiver applies to loads transported on all highways within Iowa (excluding the interstate system) and those that don't exceed a maximum of 90,000 pounds gross weight. Other stipulations that must be met to take advantage of the exemption:
- The load cannot exceed the maximum axle weight limit determined under the non-primary highway maximum gross weight table in Iowa Code § 321.463 (6) (a) and (b) by more than 12.5%
- The load cannot exceed the legal maximum axle weight limit of 20,000 pounds
- Drivers must comply with posted weight limits on roads and bridges
