MEMPHIS, Tenn.– Truck cargo theft is on the rise and drivers say they’re being targeted by thieves.
Life on the road for truckers got scary Tuesday morning as drivers were parked and waiting to be offloaded along BF Goodrich Boulevard near the Sysco warehouse. Craig and Tam Stevenson, a husband-and-wife trucking team, got a rude awakening when they realized their truck had been broken into.
“About three o’clock this morning I get a knock on our door, and we were told our trailer had been broken into,” said Tam.
“People don’t realize what you deal with every day as a truck driver,” said Craig.
A police report said three trucks had been broken into, but nothing was taken. The Stevensons say they were disappointed with the response by the police.
“Yet the police come, and they say they’re (suspects) after food and we’re like we are surprised somebody hasn’t gotten shot and killed for breaking into a trailer,” said Tam.
“It seems like nobody even cares and like she mentioned if you go outside and find someone breaking into your trailer, they’re going to end up killing you,” said Craig.
They said there is a nearby guard shack along with security cameras and several lights in the area, but the suspects were not caught.
“They got cameras and yet nobody is catching anyone or doing anything? It’s almost like somebody who works here knows what’s coming in and tells somebody. So, they come over and start looking at trucks,” Craig said.
According to experts, the trucking industry has seen a surge in cargo thefts since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The Stevensons hope and pray that life on the road becomes far less dangerous as the trucks are also the homes of many drivers.
“If somebody broke into your house what would you do? We are not violent people, but you get to the point where you just want to say enough is enough,” said Craig. “Eventually somebody going get killed. So, it’s going to cost somebody’s life whether it’s the person breaking in or the person driving the truck.”