Cargo Theft on the Rise

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Story Published: Feb 5, 2010 at 7:38 PM PDT

By Ryan Simms

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YAKIMA COUNTY -- As thieves become more brazen, not even semi trucks are immune from robberies.

After 42 years on the road, Keith Kennedy has seen it all.

"(Truckers) will load up at a brewery, go across the street for coffee, and when they come out, the whole truck is gone.. including the beer," he says.

Across the country, cargo theft has jumped by two-thirds in the past year, totaling half-a-billion-dollars in loot. Often times, it could be shipments of mail or packages you ordered.

Trucks can carry up to 4,000 pounds of supplies, and the more they hold, the more attractive they are to thieves.

While there's been only a handful of cargo thefts in Central Washington, Oak Harbor Freight Lines isn't taking any chances.
The company put up several security cameras along with a barbed wire fence and motion detectors.

Back at the truck stop, Keith takes his own precautions. Every few hours he checks a band hanging around the back door of his truck. If it's broken, that means somebody broke into his rig. For now, he's relying on locked doors, and camaraderie.

"All the other drivers help out. It's like one big family," Kennedy says.

A family that knows it's being targeted now, more than ever.

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