To help you understand what is going on in the trucking and shipping sector and what we expect to happen in the future, our highly experienced Kiplinger Letter team will keep you abreast of the latest developments and forecasts (Get a free issue of The Kiplinger Letter or subscribe). You'll get all the latest news first by subscribing, but we will publish many (but not all) of the forecasts a few days afterward online. Here’s the latest…
It isn’t just stores dealing with a plague of retail thefts. Organized crime rings are also targeting goods in shipments. One operation that was broken up earlier this year in southern California had stolen 200 truckloads of goods.
Thieves are forging phony papers when picking up cargo shipments and then disappearing. They may also pose as legitimate companies that fool brokers into hiring them for a job but never deliver the product. Some even register with federal authorities as a “new” company and then steal as much as they can before they can be audited. Targeted goods, like electronics, tend to be easily resold.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Criminals are aggressively eyeing containers in backlogged ports filled with everything from home appliances to apparel and more. Union Pacific reported a rash of cargo container break-ins as shipments were transported out of the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, according to Freight Waves.
Shippers need to be extra careful when checking a trucker’s paperwork before hiring them. Some shippers are even refusing to use any trucking company in operation for less than 90 days to avoid fraudulent operators that pop up and disappear. Sensors can track cargo in transit and alert shippers to deviations in planned routes, and services like Carrier411, TIA Watchdog, Convoy and CargoNet can verify trucker IDs.
This forecast first appeared in The Kiplinger Letter, which has been running since 1923 and is a collection of concise weekly forecasts on business and economic trends, as well as what to expect from Washington, to help you understand what’s coming up to make the most of your investments and your money. Subscribe to The Kiplinger Letter.
Related Content
-
Top New Year’s Travel Destinations: Glamorous Cities & Peaceful RetreatsRing in the New Year your way — explore vibrant celebrations or find your peaceful retreat.
-
Jim Carrey Ran Out of Money in Retirement. Will You?Cash-strapped retirees are returning to the workforce. How to prevent becoming one of them.
-
Don't Sleep on Japan's Economic TransformationThe Letter After almost three lost decades, Japan — one of the world's biggest economies — is finally showing signs of life.
-
Kiplinger Outlook: Telecom Companies Brace for Tough TimesThe Letter The telecom industry is entering a new era that threatens profitability. But the coming Trump administration will make it easier for the major players to adjust.
-
Start-ups Trying to (Profitably) Solve the World’s Hardest ProblemsThe Letter More investors are interested in companies working on breakthrough science to tackle huge societal challenges. The field of deep tech has major tailwinds, too.
-
The Big Questions for AR’s FutureThe Letter As Meta shows off a flashy AR prototype, Microsoft quietly stops supporting its own AR headset. The two companies highlight the promise and peril of AR.
-
China's Economy Faces Darkening OutlookThe Letter What the slowdown in China means for U.S. businesses.
-
AI Start-ups Keep Scoring Huge SumsThe Kiplinger Letter Investors continue to make bigger bets on artificial intelligence start-ups, even for small teams with no revenue. Some backers think a startling tech breakthrough is near.
-
Should We Worry About the Slowing U.S. EconomyThe Letter With the labor market cooling off and financial markets turning jittery, just how healthy is the economy right now?
-
New Phones Get All the Hype, but Consumers Still Love Old Models
The Letter Even as flashy artificial intelligence features drive sales of new smartphones, used phones continue to fetch big bucks as demand outstrips supply.
