Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/53821
logbook Cargo theft rises in 2011 FreightWatch International Jan. 19 said the number of U.S. cargo theft incidents reported last year increased 8.8 percent from the year before. FreightWatch said 974 cargo theft incidents were recorded last year, with an average value of $319,000 per theft incident. Many cargo thefts aren't reported. "While the rate of theft continues to rise, we are pleased to see the average value per incident begin to decline," said Barry Conlon, chief executive officer of FreightWatch, a global logistics security services provider. "This shows that shippers and the industry as a whole are beginning to secure their high-value cargo more effectively, forcing criminals to target less valuable loads." According to the firm, the most commonly targeted freight in 2011 was food and beverage products, electronics and building materials. Specific items most targeted by criminals include televisions, canned food products, cell phones, energy drinks and roofing materials. Those items can be sold easily on the black market. The top four states for cargo theft were California, Florida, New Jersey and Texas. More than 87 percent of the thefts were full truckload or container thefts. Thefts targeting electronics continued to decline from previous years, accounting for 17 percent of incidents last year, compared with 38 percent five years ago. One of the reasons the average theft value dropped was the pharmaceutical theft average loss fell sharply from previous years. — Staff reports Embezzler gets 13-year sentence A Kentucky judge has sentenced a former Mercer Transportation employee to 13 years in prison after she pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $1 million from the company. On Jan. 11, Jefferson County Circuit Judge Irv Maze sentenced Jennifer Carmichael, 37, of Louisville. Carmichael pleaded guilty to the entire 96-count indictment, according to the Office of Commonwealth Attorney, which had prosecuted the case. A Louisville Metro Police Financial Crimes Unit investigation indicated the mother of two children had embezzled from the owner-operator truckload carrier over an eight-year period. — Staff reports 60 OVERDRIVE FEBRUARY 2012 TRUCKING OPPORTUNITIES