The government has been urged to crack down on freight crime as figures show stolen goods offences are on the rise.
At a parliament event on Tuesday, the chair of the APPG on Freight and Logistics, Rachel Taylor, as well as members of the Road Haulage Association and authorities from the national freight crime unit warned ministers of the “serious impact freight crime is having across the country”.
A number of hauliers in attendance also shared their personal experiences of freight crime, which is said to be escalating as criminals take advantage of higher inflation on the price of goods.
Their warnings came as the APPG launched a new report on titled ‘Securing Our Supply Chains: How the Government can crack down on freight crime’.
The report, written in collaboration with the RHA and the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS), sheds new light on the rise of freight crime.
Read more: Freight hijackings on the up as thieves target food
Last year there were 5,370 reported incidents of HGV and cargo crime in the UK, a 5% increase on the previous year.
However, actual figures are likely to be “much higher”, the group warned, as many incidents go unreported.
Freight crime offences in 2023 were responsible for the direct loss of £68.3m in stolen goods.
This figure only represents the wholesale value of these goods, with NaVCIS estimating the true value being between £680m-£700m.
The true cost of freight crime is estimated to be at over £1bn since 2020, according to research, when including the impact on drivers, repairs, policing, insurance and knock-on associated costs.
Read more: Freight crime costs to hit £6bn in the next 25 years as safety concerns grow
The APPG report highlighted that police were currently under-resourced to deal with freight crime, and that a lack of enforcement action was also leading to an under-reporting of incidents.
“Freight crime is low risk, high reward for highly organised criminals and it’s happening daily across our nation,” said RHA MD Richard Smith.
“It’s destroying businesses, impacting the health, safety and wellbeing of drivers and making it difficult for businesses to recruit and retain staff.
“It’s clear there needs to be a national approach to tackling freight crime. We will continue to call on government to improve roadside facilities for drivers and take necessary action to tackle this issue.”
The APPG is calling for reform to the National Planning Policy Framework, the launch a national parking programme that tackles what it has called a chronic shortage of parking spaces and increased security.
Read more: Britain’s cargo theft crisis: why crime is rising on UK roads
Lorry drivers are being forced to park overnight at unlit, unpopulated and vulnerable roadside facilities, the group said. It urged central government “to work closely with local authorities to increase the provision of much-needed parking facilities”.
The APPG also recommended government to endorse secure parking standards across the country, increase support and resources for law enforcement, and launch a national freight crime awareness campaign to deter criminals who see freight as an easy target.
Taylor said: “The freight and logistics sector underpins our entire economy, yet the industry and its hard-working staff are being increasingly targeted by sophisticated and organised criminal gangs.
“It’s vital we respond to that threat, so I’m pleased to be launching this report today with the APPG for Freight and Logistics, setting out the action we believe the government should take to crack down on these dangerous criminals and safeguard this crucial industry.”
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