Sting Trailers Equipped with GPS Tracking Technology Used to Combat Cargo Theft

A tractor-trailer is parked at a warehouse or truck stop in the United States filled with hidden surveillance equipment, reports ABC News. And authorities are sitting back and waiting for thieves to come steal it.

During the holidays, thieves tend to come out of the woodwork, looking to steal merchandise from retailers who are loading up for the shopping season. This is exactly why prevention efforts are put in place, according to security company FreightWatch International located in Austin, Texas.

These efforts are nothing new. Sting trailers, over time, have provided authorities with a look at how these types of thieves operate and have improved security for truck owners.

The FBI says that cargo theft has turned into a big problem causing up to $30 billion in losses annually in the US. The insurance and Law enforcement industry are fighting back by placing these ‘sting trailers’ equipped with GPS tracking devices and cameras inside the inventory and trailers to tempt thieves.

Nationwide, there were over 150 cargo thefts in the months of July, August and September. This dropped by 24 percent from last year during the same months, FreightWatch reported. Still, the cargo theft average value of almost $200,000 showed a 7 percent increase from April through June.

Thieves tend to go for undistinguished trailers that after being stolen would be hard to identify. Because of this, it’s better that distinctive markings or a brand name are on the sides of the trailers. The locks that crooks have found most problematic have been recorded by hidden cameras which enabled anti-fraud specialists to recommend the highest-tech locks be installed by truck owners.

Hartford’s New York-based Travelers Cos, an insurance company, thinks that its sting trailer is the only one being used; however, the truth is they are also being used by trucking and retail companies and law enforcement. The insurance company’s trailer was set up in 2008 at their lab in Windsor, Connecticut and has surveillance gear in it that is worth around $100,000. It has been used by law enforcement agencies all over the nation hundreds of times which led to dozens of arrests.

According to Traveler’s theft investigator, Scott Cornell, the main reason for the trailers is to help law enforcement target organized cargo rings. Each time a ring is broken up through a sting trailer, the retailer or trucking company that is moving cargo in that location benefits. Sting trailers have definitely reduced theft in the locations that arrests have been made, he says.

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