Labor Day weekend is a time for barbeques, relaxation, and — unfortunately — rampant cargo theft.
Never fear, though! Fleet professionals, including leaders, back-office teams, and drivers, can enjoy the holiday and take advantage of the slower weekend. Leaders in our industry can protect and secure their fleets with the right solutions and insights. Let's explore!
Labor Day data trends
Omnitracs data scientists recently explored holiday data trends in 2019 and 2020, focusing specifically on summer holiday trends and their impact on our industry. We found that many last-mile fleet professionals take advantage of the long weekend and minimize or shut down their operations.
The chart above represents the average percentage drop of stops serviced across manufacturing, retail, transportation/warehousing, and wholesale sectors during U.S. national holidays. Labor Day joins Memorial Day and New Year's with the highest percentage drop in the transportation/warehousing sector. Retail stops also dropped 98%, followed by manufacturing, which dropped 87%.
Why risk is so rampant during holiday weekends
Thieves see Labor Day as an opportunity to take advantage of unguarded cargo. They may even attempt to steal during the weekend and before Labor Day comes along so that they can have an extra day to disappear with stolen cargo before people return to work.
Early September is when Christmas cargo begins moving into distribution centers and warehouses. CargoNet, an analytics company, analyzed Labor Day theft trends from 2014 to 2019. The company concluded that electronic devices, which are in highest demand during the Christmas season, were the top items stolen.
Additionally, Sensitech Supply Chain Intelligence Center analyzed Labor Day weekend trends from 2015 to 2019, concluding there was a whopping 15% increase in daily thefts during the Labor Day weekend when compared with the rest of the year. According to their database, pharmaceuticals, tobacco, electronics, and automotive supplies were targeted the most aggressively.
Secure your fleet with industry-leading solutions
Fortunately, you have the power to protect your fleet.
With reliable and real-time asset tracking applications, you can:
- Detect unauthorized activity almost instantly with geofencing capabilities
- Monitor your vehicles and assets
- Generate start- and end-of-trip reports for holistic visibility
You and your teams can utilize enhanced asset tracking applications to gain these benefits and more, protecting your fleet during Labor Day weekend, other high-risk times, and all year long. With better security and protection, you can relax and enjoy your much-deserved holiday!
For more on holiday data trends, check out our recent blog article!
