Theft of goods from trucks has become a serious problem for all of Europe. Last year alone, the industry suffered losses of 500 million euros from such actions. This year the statistics are not improving.
Despite all measures, returning stolen items and goods is very difficult. Several years of statistics by experts from the international association for transport security and advanced technologies TAPA show that the problem of robberies has worsened. Thefts are becoming more widespread.
According to the Polish Chamber of Shipping and Logistics, more than 8,000 thefts from transport vehicles were registered in the EU in 2023. Such cases occur an average of 23 times a day. Taking into account the first quarter of 2024, there are already 29 such incidents per day.
According to TAPA statistics, Germany ranks among the leading European countries with the highest rate of theft from this mid (approximately 2,700 cases). In second place is France (1,200 thefts), followed by Italy and Sweden. In our country, the situation is not so critical. It is similar to that in Poland and is calculated at only 2.3%. (200 cases) of the total number of transport thefts in the EU.
We must specify that it is a matter of theft of transported goods, fuel and even entire vehicles.
„Theft of valuables such as electronic equipment or fuel is common, especially when the crimes are committed by organized groups. What can the carrier do in such a situation and who is responsible for the cargo being transported?
Of course, this is a complex topic and there is no clear answer. Of course, the carrier is responsible for the cargo from the moment it is received by the customer. For this reason, the contractor can claim compensation, but here the carrier is protected by the provisions of the CMR Convention, which indicate that he can be released from liability for the cargo in the event of several factors beyond his control and evidence that he failed to prevent the crime“ – comments Lukash Hvalchuk, manager of the law firm IURIDICA.
There are no recipes for effective protection against theft. Carriers place great hopes on modern technologies, including telematics solutions. These innovations protect drivers and cargo and help avoid significantly higher costs, as well as provide great support to transport and logistics companies involved in the transportation of goods.