Lorry thefts: Stolen cargo, stress and slashed curtains

Criminals slash curtains until they find a valuable load

Lorry drivers are calling for more secure truck stops across the UK to stop organised crime gangs from stealing cargo.

Last week the Road Haulage Association (RHA) called on the new government to create a specific freight crime offence and a national truck parking security standard to help tackle thefts.

In one incident this year, £1.1m worth of goods were stolen from a lorry parked in Banbury, Oxfordshire.

The government said it was working with a group whose vehicle crime specialists are sharing information with police forces across England and Wales, to "better tackle regional issues.”

"This is serious and organised crime", a National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS) officer told the BBC.

The body is a police unit that helps forces fight vehicle crime, funded by the logistics industry.

The officer, who wanted to remain anonymous, explained that the gangs understand supply chains, surveillance and policing, and have "underground networks of handlers that’ll handle a vast quantity of cargo for serious sums of money".

They often target motorway service stations and truck stops on major routes like the M1, M25, and M40.

They slash curtains or bolt crop trailer doors until they find a valuable load, according to the NaVCIS.

Thieves target popular consumer items like alcohol, tobacco, electricals, and clothing.

The loads are then divided and sold on online selling platforms and in wholesalers, backstreet cash and carries, car boot sales, and markets.

Rhys Hackling has upgraded his truck security after his truck curtains were repeatedly slashed

There is no precise figure for the number of thefts from lorries in the UK, however the NaVCIS said there was more than 5,000 incidents of lorry crime in 2023, or about 14 every day.

They said this equated to a £68m loss of goods, but industry experts think the real figure could be seven times higher.

Hauliers also said their lorries were being targeted when parked in "secure" truck stops.

Even when no cargo is stolen, attempted thefts are costing the industry.

Each curtain tear costs about £100 to repair, explained Rhys Hackling, who runs Bicester-based Direct Connect Logistics.

"If you're carrying food or a similar product, once that tear happens the goods will be rejected," he said.

Ultimately, it is consumers who pay. The RHA's Ashton Cull said these crimes ripple through the supply chain and increase "the costs of everything".

'Like something from a James Bond movie'

Although rare, an increasingly perilous way of stealing cargo has been on the rise in the UK, according to the NaVCIS.

Typically attempted on long, straight highways at night, the "rollover" theft sees criminals drive their cars directly behind a fast moving lorry, the driver often unaware they are being followed.

"Someone will climb out of the sunroof of the car that's directly behind," the NaVCIS officer explained.

"They'll bounce down onto the bonnet, angle grind, undo the back doors of the trailer, and jump in on the move to steal cargo."

There have been nine "rollover" thefts recorded in the UK in 2024 so far, up from seven in 2023.

The NaVCIS said while they are still rare there is potential for "death and serious injury".

'This is not a victimless crime'

Joe Alves said he wakes up two to three times a night to check if anyone is attempting to steal from his lorry

The threat of theft is causing "significant issues" to drivers' "wellbeing and welfare", according to the RHA's Ashton Cull.

Darren Brooker, who runs Daz Tran International in Hythe, Kent, said one of his hauliers has "packed up driving completely" after he woke up to thieves targeting his trailer.

He added: "He’s a bag of nerves. We had to go and rescue him and in fact, he said, I don’t want to do this no more."

Oxfordshire driver Joe Alves told the BBC he does not get a full night's sleep, and that he has had his lorry slashed even when parked up with the doors open, to show there is no cargo inside.

With no specific crime reporting category for cargo theft, it is difficult to assess the police record on tackling lorry crime.

But Mr Alves said he felt "there's no communication" from the police after incidents are reported.

"I don’t always get an easy ride, particularly from drivers and haulage companies", admitted the NaVCIS Officer, "[but] there is an awful lot of good work going on nationally to combat this type of offending."

'We need more secure parking'

Ashford International Truckstop is one of only 10 sites to receive Park Mark Freight accreditation

The NaVCIS, the RHA, hauliers, and drivers all stress the need for more secure truck stops, and for existing sites to upgrade their security measures.

In 2022, as a response to the level of cargo theft, the British Parking Association (BPA) launched the Park Mark Freight scheme.

The in-person assessment is only awarded to truck stops that have extensive security measures, including continuous secure perimeters, CCTV and on-site security staff.

Despite assessing nearly 50 sites the BPA has only accredited 10 truck stops, however they claim those sites have “zero to little crime”.

Sara Fisher, head of operations at the BPA, said the low number of accredited sites is "testimony to the fact that the standards of truck stops is just simply so poor".

In a statement, the government said it was working with the RHA to "raise awareness and crackdown on freight crime".

In March, the previous government announced that lorry drivers would benefit from more parking spaces, better welfare facilities and safer rest areas after £16.5m in joint government and industry investment.