Freight crime spirals out of control as value of goods stolen rises to over £100 million

Freight crime spirals out of control as the value of goods stolen rises to over £100 million

• 2024 saw a significant rise in the value of goods stolen from lorries – up nearly two-thirds to £111.5 million.
• Freight crime is at record levels with loses exceeding £1 billion since 2020.

The Road Haulage Association (RHA) has today responded to the latest freight crime statistics which reveal a significant rise in the value of losses from goods stolen from lorries – up nearly two-thirds to £111.5 million. Freight crime - or theft from lorries - continues to impact drivers and businesses across the UK every day, resulting in significant financial losses. It affects the health, safety, and wellbeing of lorry drivers, making it more difficult for firms to recruit and retain staff and pushing up the price of goods. 

The RHA has led the campaign calling for a national, co-ordinated approach to tackling freight crime and is again calling on policymakers to consider the needs of drivers and hauliers who play an essential role in the supply chain and in the wider economy.

Commenting on the release of the new figures RHA Managing Director Richard Smith said:

“These figures highlight the fact that freight crime is becoming more serious, more organised, and more intelligence led. Criminals have always known what goods are moving, when they’re moving and where they’re most at risk – and now it’s even higher reward for them.

“Criminals are increasingly focusing on vulnerable vehicles parked independently in laybys and industrial estates. We’re on the back foot because these figures still only represent estimates as we rely on voluntary reports by police forces.

We'll only know the true scale of the issue when we get the specific Freight Crime reporting code that the RHA has long been campaigning for.”

Pointing to the positive impact of investment in secure facilities, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Freight and Logistics, Rachel Taylor MP said:

“The fact that fewer thefts are occurring at truckstops suggests that industry and government investment to date is working. However, there's a long way to go and these figures underline the urgent need for more to be done to ensure our drivers and businesses are properly protected. 

“Next week I am bringing forward a Ten Minute Rule Motion in Parliament, calling on the government to introduce a specific crime code so that hard-working police forces across the country can better monitor freight offences. That’s an important step in ensuring we can track freight criminals and put them behind bars where they belong.”

With the Government’s Spending Review underway, the RHA is urging Ministers to continue the grant scheme for HGV parking facilities and better target the funding in high crime locations.

Key recommendations for the UK Government from the APPG for Freight and Logistics to tackle freight crime:

• Endorse and support secure parking standards: Drivers today cannot be assured of their own safety or that of their vehicle, even when in designated parking. Coordinated standards must be used to create an environment where drivers can pull into any truck stop with the confidence they deserve.
• Launch a national parking programme: there is a significant national shortage of lorry parking which forces many drivers to park overnight at unlit, unpopulated and vulnerable roadside facilities. Central government needs to work closely with local authorities to increase the provision of much-needed parking facilities.
• Increase support and resources for the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service. Our police forces do not currently have the tools and support to stem the rise of freight crime.
• Launch a national freight crime awareness campaign - this will act as a visual deterrence to criminals who see freight as an easy target.
  
  
  Notes to Editors:

• The RHA estimates there is a shortage of 11,000 parking spaces across the UK. The association continues to call for better, safer, and more secure parking facilities to help alleviate this issue and support drivers and businesses who are essential to the economy.
  
• Key Figures from National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS):

• The number of incidents has decreased by 491, yet the value of losses has increased by nearly two-thirds (Increased by £43m).
• The APPG for Freight and Logistics released a report in November 2024, calling for reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework, the creation of a national parking programme, and increased support for law enforcement to tackle freight crime. [Link to report]