To nib the truck cargo theft, the insurance and trucking industries are expanding their anti-cargo theft programme to Western Canada

Canadian economy is suffering a loss of about $5 billion each year just because of the theft of transport trucks and merchandise on them, the Insurance Bureau of Canada estimates.

These cargo truck play a vital role in door-to-door cargo delivery everywhere in the world

Who are these thieves?

It is hard to say for sure who these thieves are but sometimes they are linked to organised crime groups who steal the entire shipment of cargo like consumer electronics or even beer and before the theft is reported, they quickly sell it on the black market.

How it is done?

According to Celyeste Powers, Bureau’s spokeswoman, the organised crime groups place a call for their desired item, as soon as the thieves get that call, they start looking for all those trucks who’d be carrying that cargo for delivery.

Once they have located the truck with desired goods, they follow it and as soon as the truck is parked, they break into it and load the items into a smaller truck and make a run for it.

How to prevent it?

It is kind of impossible to prevent, so the best can be done is to minimise the numbers. Having said so, the insurance bureau has initiated a cargo theft programme, encouraging people to use a phone tip-line and the internet to anonymously report crimes.

Once a report has been made, the information then is compiled in a database that can be consulted by trucking companies, police and insurers.

According to reports, these cargo thefts have sometimes been written off as part of the cost of doing business or sometimes, not even reported at all.

For a few years, this programme has been working smoothly in Ontario and last summer they have expanded it to Atlantic Canada.

The insurance bureau believes that Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan will help make this programme succeed.