Freight Crime Surges Globally as RHA & Partners Demand Action; Spain Leads on Late Payment Enforcement

The Road Haulage Association (RHA) has continually voiced concerns over the rising problem of freight crime in the UK, which is certainly more organised than ever, and is becoming an ever-larger problem and cost to the economy. Police figures show the value of goods stolen alone in 2024 is at least £111m – an increase of 63 percent on the previous year. Police estimate the cost to the UK economy as more than £1bn since 2020. This is not a problem just in the UK however, the financial damage of cargo theft linked to organised crime to the economy in the USA has become so huge the FBI have established a dedicated department. The American Trucking Association (ATA) has testified to congress that cargo theft is impacting the entire supply chain to the tune of USD 35 billion annually, the ask is for federal government to take the lead and coordinate enforcement measures. Whilst cargo theft is beginning raise consumer prices and insurance for the carriers, strategic theft, which involves deception, fraud, cyber theft and other sophisticated tactics has risen 1500% since 2021, with the average value of theft over USD 200,000.

Perhaps striking a chord with hauliers in the UK, the ATA reports that without proper enforcement and follow up by authorities, trucking companies are left battling this scourge on their own, and smaller companies are finding it increasingly difficult to keep up with ever more complex criminal tactics.

In Europe improperly secured cargo poses not only a safety risk but a significant financial risk to operators. In several EU countries fines for insecure load offences can amount to thousands of euros. Germany has the strictest approach with fines up to 5000 euros for the operator, plus driver fines. Not only should operators ensure drivers check their loads, but the restraints used to secure cargo should comply with the relevant ISO and EN standards, which define required securing forces, structural strength and equipment guidelines. Late payment has been a blight on the haulage industry since time immemorial, there has been an EU late payment directive around for over a decade and at last some encouraging action has been implemented by Spain. Every haulier knows that late payments hamper growth, and even continuity of the business given the usual low operating margins. Spain is leading the way, strictly enforcing laws against late payment, with fines often exceeding 30,000 euros for offenders. This has resulted in average payment terms falling to 60 days in June 2025, a 30% reduction.

A key part of the Spanish framework is the so-called blacklist of transport debtors, including fines for companies exceeding deadlines for paying hauliers. Trans Info reports that in the second half of 2024, 300 companies were fined more than 720,00 euros, the first half of the year reached nearly 2million euros. The latest list includes major logistics firms such as ID Logistics Iberia, DSV Road Spain, and DHL Road Spain.