Bourbon and ribs are flying off the shelves at a record pace. Sellers only wish they were being paid for. With $500,000 in bourbon and a truckload of Shake Shack stolen, the food fight continues.
As trucking’s struggle with freight crime continues, the headlines continue to get stranger: hundreds of thousands of dollars in booze and ribs have vanished without a trace.
As thieves continue to shun shoes and transistors in favor of BBQ sauce, everyday carriers are wondering if their loads of lasagna are next.
Here’s the latest in the trucking food fight.
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Owner-operators get express access to:
- Weekly payments with factoring
- Up to $2/gallon off on fuel and the lowest pricing on tires
- Savings from tires and fuel to cover factoring fees
Fill out this form for priority access
The Rib Robbery
When Shake Shack launched their new BBQ Boneless Baby Back Rib Sandwich, the item attracted enormous attention—both savory and unsavory.
Amid the sandwich’s viral moment, a load of 1,000 racks of baby back ribs vanished. Shake Shack was already coping with vanishing ribs as consumer demand increased, but with an entire load of ribs off the radar, the chain wondered if its supply would be reduced to bone.
The absurdity of the situation wasn’t lost on Shake Shack, which later took to social media with “We know they’re delicious but come onnnn.” Despite the good humor, the loss shifted the company’s financial strategy for the ensuing quarter.
No thieves were caught red-handed, but they undoubtedly maintained sticky fingers.
The Bourbon Heist
When a crew arrived to pick up 10,800 bottles of premium bourbon, their paperwork checked out perfectly, but there was a catch: The photo on the ID didn’t match the driver. Assuming the inconsistency was a fluke, the warehouse released the shipment. When another driver arrived a few hours later with a face matching the original ID, it became clear what had happened.
Over $500,000 in booze hit the black market. The CEO later told reporters that the thieves had discovered the opportunity on a freight board, spoofed the trucking company name and dispatcher, and made off with a truckload of alcohol in broad daylight.
Distributors are warning that if someone is offering you a bourbon at a price that feels like you stole it, they probably did.
Why Thieves are Finding Food Freight Appetizing
These stories may feel strange, but they are becoming tragically ordinary.
According to CargoNet, food and beverage theft is up 68%. The average stolen load will amount to a $273,990 bill.
Tragically, food is perfect for theft:
- Since apples and lobsters don’t have serial codes, tracking them through their lifetime can be impossible.
- Because food is consumable (imagine that), the product virtually ‘disappears’, further complicating the process of tracking stolen culinary freight.
- By necessity, perishable products must move through the market quickly, making it difficult for officers to keep up with the pace of exchange.
Don’t let the ridiculousness of these thefts mislead you: If you’re hauling food, you need all the protection you need in this Wild West era of trucking. Fortunately, factoring acts as perfect insulation against theft.
For a limited time, owner-operators are getting an exclusive deal on factoring:
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Owner-operators get express access to:
- Weekly payments with factoring
- Up to $2/gallon off on fuel and the lowest pricing on tires
- Savings from tires and fuel to cover factoring fees
Fill out this form for priority access
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