Pirate Watch: Those highway robbers

Here are some thoughts on the pirates of the interstate from naval aviator Herb Carmen, whose daddy was a truck driving man.

By Cmdr. Herb Carmen

Best Defense pirates columnist

We most often think of piracy taking place on the high seas, but it’s also happening closer to home. Jennifer Levitz wrote an excellent article in the Wall Street Journal about a spike in piracy on the nation’s highways. The article cites data from FreightWatch International which shows that thieves stole 859 truckloads containing $487 million of goods in 2009, up from $290 million just one year ago. FreightWatch International’s 2009 review of U.S. cargo theft has breaks down what types of good were stolen, which states have seen the most thefts, and points to a few trends. 

It’s interesting to contrast cargo theft on the highways with piracy off the Somali coast. Tractor-trailer thefts require surveillance and focus on stealing cargo often while drivers are away from their trucks. Stolen goods are then sold on the black market. Pirate attacks near Somalia seek vulnerable targets of opportunity at sea to capture and take hostages. Pirates near Somalia have the capacity to capture and detain hostages for long periods of time while ransom negotiations take place. Tractor-trailer thefts more closely resemble pirate attacks near Asian ports, where cargo is more often the prize and where the capability to remove and resell the cargo exists.