Cargo theft in the Greater Toronto Area’s Peel Region has taken a disturbing turn, placing it third in North America for high cargo theft activity, as organized crime groups use increasingly sophisticated methods to target high-value loads.
Mark Haywood, a detective with Peel Regional Police who runs the cargo side of its Commercial Auto Crime Bureau, describes these developments as an escalation in theft methods, particularly with the rise of transit pilferage—a tactic that’s now spreading in Canada after gaining traction in Europe and parts of the U.S.
“We rival the same theft rates as Texas.”
Mark Haywood, Peel Regional Police
As of Sept. 9, 2024, Peel Region has seen 232 stolen tractors and trailers since the beginning of the year, valued at $16.73 million. On average, 26 vehicles are stolen monthly, but the highest number of thefts – 56 incidents – occurred in August. The recovery rate for these stolen vehicles stands at 65.52%, higher than the national and North American averages. However, recovering stolen cargo proves more challenging, with only 39% of the 72 stolen loads recovered last year.
“We’re third in North America for cargo theft, behind the states of California and Florida,” said Haywood. “We rival the same theft rates as Texas. But then again, you’re talking about an entire state, and we’re a region, a small region in Ontario.”
This was one of the issues that was discussed on Sept. 10, during Canada’s first Transportation Asset Protection Association (TAPA) meeting, which brought together more than 100 professionals to address the growing problem by fostering collaboration between logistics companies, law enforcement, and security professionals.
Even though cargo theft dipped in 2023, with the Peel Region reporting 373 stolen tractors and trailers out of 908 across Canada – a decrease from the 660 thefts reported in 2022, attributed to a shift toward auto theft – since the U.S. has seen a 60% increase in cargo theft, the Peel Region is now experiencing a “drastic increase” in the last three months, said Haywood, observing that trends in Canada typically follow the U.S. with a six-month delay. Peel’s central role as a transportation hub, handling around 80% of Ontario’s cargo and 45% of Canada’s, coupled with its proximity to the U.S. border, makes it a prime target for organized crime.
Pilferage during transit: a growing threat
One of the alarming trends is pilferage during transit. Organized crime groups are now actively targeting trucks while they are on the move.
A lot of high-value loads go out on schedules, so thieves will watch the distribution center to see which truck is used, Haywood explained. He added that companies often use the same trucks for the same loads, making it easy for criminals to figure out a routine. After observing for about a week, the thieves choose a spot, like a stoplight, where the truck has to turn. They park a car in the turn lane, pretending it’s broken down—maybe popping the hood or doing something else to block the truck.
“Meanwhile, they’ll cut the lock on the back of the trailer,” Haywood said, noting that drivers are often unaware of what’s happening due to the noise inside the truck. The thieves will quietly gain access to the trailer, close the door, and let the truck continue. While it’s still driving, they pilfer the load, putting stolen goods into bags or other containers. Later, the truck will be cut off again or forced to stop, and the criminals will throw the stolen goods into waiting vehicles behind it before driving off.
Targeted theft of high-value and perishable loads
Criminals are mostly focusing their efforts on high-value loads, including electronics, metals such as aluminum and copper, and unmarked perishable goods like frozen meat.
“We’re also seeing [interest in] perishable goods, but perishable goods that are not easily identifiable,” Haywood observed. “They’re not brand name goods. They’re goods that could be sold in any store. It’s easy for them to sell that on the gray market to flea markets and dollar stores and places like that, because there’s no identifiable markings on it. There’s no serial numbers.”
To evade detection, criminals often split stolen loads into smaller trailers or stolen straight trucks and store them in different ‘cooling-off’ locations before resale, making it harder for law enforcement to recover the goods.
“They’ll store the product for up to several months as a cooling-off period,” Haywood said.
This practice poses health risks, especially with perishable items like frozen meat. “You don’t know if, for two hours or five hours or two days, that reefer unit has been running,” he explained, saying that improperly stored goods could become unsafe.
Unattended load, inside information thefts remain most common
Despite the rise in such sophisticated theft tactics like pilferage, identity theft, fictitious pickups and more, unattended load theft remains the most common method in Peel Region. Organized crime groups specifically target trailers left unattended, often taking advantage of bad security or inside knowledge.
“There are also circumstances where those loads are ‘give ups’, where the driver is complicit in that crime,” Haywood said. “He’ll make a phone call to somebody saying, ‘Hey, I’m leaving the load unattended here for an hour. I’m going to go for dinner,’ and when he comes back, ‘Oh no, my load’s gone and stolen now.’”
This remains a significant challenge for the industry and highlights the importance of constant vigilance and vetting the employees. This is why Haywood shared several tips for companies to protect their fleets and yards.
How to protect your fleet and loads
Implementing a combination of security measures is critical. While advanced technology such as AI-powered surveillance and GPS systems is helpful, nothing replaces having live personnel on-site to conduct random checks, so police recommend a multi-layered security approach that also includes physical security checks.
“We advocate that you have people check the fence line now and then,” Haywood explained, reasoning that crime groups often test security by cutting fences in advance of a theft to see if it goes unnoticed. Regularly walking the perimeter can help catch vulnerabilities before they are exploited. He added, “Quite often, you hire a person and you put them in a gatehouse, and then you never talk to them again. You know, make it your job to ensure they’re doing their job. Go with them. Walk the perimeter, see if they know the perimeter.”
Operators should always know what belongs in their yard and what doesn’t.
“If you see a driver there that you’ve never seen before, or a tractor that you’ve never seen before that you don’t think should be there – speak with them,” Haywood said. “Make things visible – when you have CCTV, put up signage indicating everybody is videotaped and audiotaped, like ‘Here you could be approached by security, make sure you have your ID at all times.’”
He highlighted the importance of thorough background checks for employees, too, noting that there are companies performing civilian background checks to find out if the person they’re hiring has a history of any sort of theft-related criminal activity.
Haywood also said that larger companies often overlook the need to deactivate access cards or change passwords when employee quits or is let go.
Other simple measures include ensuring that drivers show proper identification, making sure a copy of that identification is taken, and confirming their identity with the brokerage firm or company sending them to take the loads.
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