Freight crime affects all types and sizes of commercial vehicles and it is a problem which impacts on companies up and down the country, with hauliers reporting thefts, damage and vandalism on a daily basis.

One of the biggest targets for rogue thieves is the amount of fuel carried by many of the HGVs that are targeted. They can contain up to 1,000 litres of fuel, which equates to a current pump value of £1,350 – this is instantly useable and disposable.

Crime prevention security specialist Netwatch has observed the trend and discovered the startling cost which is strangling the industry, claiming the repair and replacement bills are leaving freight companies across the UK out of pocket.

David McCarthy, Director of Sales for Netwatch, is advising site managers to be more vigilant as the summer passes and darker nights set in. He said: “As we move into autumn and the darker nights come in, intruders become more opportunistic than ever – they believe they can sneak in and out of sites undetected as a result.

“A lot of our sites were experiencing problems with petty vandalism, intruders were breaking and entering to steal fuel from the vehicles, and valuable goods from the trailer units were being stolen, before they decided to get a more solid crime prevention solution in place.

“It’s becoming a major problem that is costing the industry a fortune every year – but not only that, it’s also a challenge for the authorities.”

McCarthy said that a growing number of freight sites are now investing in the Netwatch advanced crime prevention solution to counter the threat from the gangs.

He added: “We’ve detected and prevented several incidents at our sites up and down the country where the illegal removal of oil or diesel, or theft from the vehicles, was the intended crime.

“We provide 24 hour remote security, with intervention specialists who watch in real time as an intruder tries to enter a site and issue personalised audio warnings to deter the would-be thieves, giving freight companies peace of mind that their sites and vehicles are secure and protected from the increasing threat.”

Netwatch now operates in 4 continents with clients across Europe, South Africa, the Middle East and the USA.