One day last spring, Peel police Det. Mark Haywood executed a search warrant on a property west of Toronto and found a semi-trailer loaded with snowmobiles.
“Seeing an entire container full of brand new Ski-Doos valued at, like, $24,000 (each) — that’s a pretty good recovery for our unit,” said Haywood, who heads the force’s cargo theft team.
Part of a sweeping joint investigation called Project Big Rig, the operation resulted in the arrest of 15 suspects and recovery of 28 trailers stocked with $7 million worth of items ranging from chicken to televisions to Sleeman beer.
“Cargo theft definitely is on the rise,” Haywood said in an interview.
The spike in freight crime comes in lockstep with a ramp-up of more sophisticated, digitally savvy tactics that revolve around identity theft and drain the economy of millions of dollars, as the higher cost of living drives demand for pilfered products.
The number of cargo thefts — when goods are stolen during transportation — rose 59 per cent in Canada and the United States last year, according to data analytics firm Verisk’s CargoNet. The 2,852 incidents followed a 15 per cent jump in 2022 and a 20 per cent increase in 2021.
Experts say more old-fashioned methods of theft such as cutting fences at freight yards and hot-wiring semis at truck stops remain popular. But even those acts are often informed by information gleaned from online load boards — sites that connect shippers and carriers — or phishing scams and other hacking methods.
“The way it used to be was that they would just randomly steal whatever they could get their hands on,” said Haywood.
“Now, if they have inside information on something, they’ll actually go into a yard and go through half a dozen trailers until they find the product that they were told is there, and then they’ll steal that particular one.”
Digital hacks and tracking devices such as Apple AirTags can also yield that inside info — shipment contents or location, for example. They’ve gained traction over the past year, in part because the methods are so cheap, said Danish Yusuf, CEO of Toronto-based Zensurance.
“The marginal cost of hacking the system is so low because it’s just somebody sitting in their basement somewhere just trying constantly,” he said.
Other newer approaches that rely on “strategic theft,” where criminals effectively trick shippers into handing over their goods, are catching on too.
The most common type is identity theft, where a crew uses false documentation to pose as an existing fleet, said Joe Palmer, who heads insurance firm Gallagher Canada’s transportation team.
“A thief online can find the identity of a legitimate carrier … get their credentials and basically hold themselves to be somebody that they’re not,” he said.
Malefactors might bid an irresistibly low price to transport a shipment.
“They basically are flooding people’s inboxes and phone lines to try to get their hands on a load. ‘Hey, we’re ABC Trucking, we have trucks available to haul your freight,’” Palmer said.
Once obtained, the costly cargo is rarely seen by legitimate eyes again — until it hits the retail shelf, shorn of its illicit tail.
Last April, a thief walked away with $23.8 million in gold and cash from an Air Canada warehouse after presenting phoney documents, according to an October court filing from security firm Brink’s. The incident marked the most notorious example in recent years of a so-called fictitious pickup — using false identification or documents to pose as a legitimate driver in person.
Fictitious pickups — also called fraudulent pickups — jumped 600 per cent in 2022 in Canada and the U.S., though they still account for a minority of the total, according to CargoNet.
Illegal wholesalers often present a “wish list” of items in hot demand, much the way auto theft works now, said Haywood.
Food and beverages, household products and metals now comprise Canada’s most sought-after stolen goods, in that order, according to CargoNet.
Food inflation over the past two years sparked a commensurate spike in demand for meat and other edible items.
“They might be able to pick up a $100,000 load for $30,000,” Haywood said of grocers on the grey market. “There’s no way of tracing products like that. It’s not like they have serial numbers on packs of chicken.”
Purloined poultry or pork can pose a health risk, however.
“Sometimes these things are stolen, they’re kept by the roadside for a day or two and possibly the refrigeration unit’s gone off for a day,” the police detective said.
Electronics also make for high-value targets.
“Generally, those loads will be sectioned off and sold in lots to different brokers. It’s difficult to pawn an entire 53-foot trailer full of 60-inch big-screen televisions.”
The eventual outlets for hot household goods include independent stores, flea markets and online platforms such as Facebook Marketplace and eBay, Haywood said.
To leave as few fingerprints as possible, crime rings often resort to “double brokering,” all arranged online.
“They’ll hire a legit trucking company to take it across the border or to the final destination so they don’t take the risk of the actual trucking. And then they pick it up on the other end,” said Yusuf.
The value of freight stolen across Canada and the U.S. last year totalled $449 million, a 47 per cent jump from 2022, according to CargoNet.
The firm found that Ontario accounted for an astounding 83 per cent of all cargo theft incidents in Canada, with the Toronto area as the reddest of hotspots, though police say offences are radiating westward as perpetrators try to evade a regional crackdown.
While the number of reported incidents in Canada actually fell by a handful in 2023, the figure still sat 42 per cent higher than 2021 levels.
Meanwhile, experts say the value loss likely increased.
“We see a lot of loads that are worth $500,000 and higher. We have some clients that carry cargo limits of $2 million,” said John Miklus, president of the American Institute of Marine Underwriters.
Many incidents go unreported, he added. Reputation and insurance rate hikes are the main reasons.
“If I’m running a cargo business, I don’t want people to know I was robbed because then it hurts my ability to get more business,” said Yusuf. “If I fell for a phishing scam for instance.
“These thieves are getting smarter. They see people using technology in all other spaces, and cargo theft is no different.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 24, 2024.
It’s common knowledge that companies don’t hire the most qualified candidates. Employers hire the person they believe will deliver the best value in exchange for their payroll cost.
Since most job seekers know the above, I’m surprised that so few mention their Employee Value Proposition (EVP). Most job seekers list their education, skills, and experience without substantiating them and expect employers to determine whether they can benefit their company; hence, most resumes and LinkedIn profiles are just a list of opinions—borderline platitudes—that are meaningless and, therefore, have no value. Job seekers need to better explain, along with providing evidence, how they’ll contribute to an employer’s success.
Employers don’t hire opinions (read: talk is cheap); they hire results.
You’re not offering anything tangible when you claim:
I’m a great communicator.
I’m detail oriented.
I’m a team player.
Tangible:
“At Global Dynamics, I held quarterly town hall meetings with my 22 sales reps, highlighting our accomplishments, identifying opportunity areas, and recognizing outstanding performers.”
“For eight years, I managed Vandelay Industries IT department, overseeing a staff of 18 and a 12-million-dollar budget while coordinating cross-specialty projects. My strong attention to detail is why I never exceeded budget.”
“While working at Cyberdyne Systems, I was part of the customer service team, consisting of nine of us, striving to improve our response time. Through collaboration and sharing of best practices, we reduced our average response time from 48 to 12 business hours, resulting in a 35% improvement in customer feedback ratings.”
These examples of tangible answers provide employers with what they most want to hear from candidates but rarely do; what value the candidate will bring to the company. Typically, job seekers present their skills, experience, and unsubstantiated opinions and expect recruiters and employers to figure out their value, which is a lazy practice.
Getting hired isn’t based on “I have an MBA in Marketing and Sales,” “I’ve been a web designer for over 15 years,” “I’m young, beautiful and energetic,” blah, blah, blah. Likewise, being rejected isn’t based on “I’m overqualified,” “I’m too old,” “I don’t have enough education,” blah, blah, blah. Getting hired depends entirely on showing employers that you can add value and substance to their company; that you’ll serve a purpose.
When you articulate a solid value offer, the “blah, blah, blah” doesn’t matter. Job seekers focus too much on the “blah, blah, blah,” and when not hired, they say, “It’s not me, it’s…” The biggest mistake I see job seekers make is focusing on the “blah, blah, blah”—their experience and education—believing this is what interests employers. Hiring managers are more interested in whether you can solve the problems the position exists to solve than in your education and experience.
Not impressive: Education
Impressive: A track record of achieving tangible results.
You aren’t who you say you are; you are what you do.
If you want to be somebody who works hard, you have to actually work hard. If you want to be somebody who goes to the gym, you actually have to go to the gym. If you want to be a good friend, spouse, or colleague, you have to actually be a good friend, spouse, or colleague. Actions build reputations, not words.
The biggest challenge job seekers face today is differentiating themselves. To stand out and be memorable, don’t be like most job seekers, someone who’s all talk and no action. Any recruiter or hiring manager will tell you that the job market is heavily populated with job seekers who talk themselves up, talk a “good game” about everything they can “supposedly” do, drop names, etc., but have nothing to show for it.
More than ever, employers want to hear candidates offer a value proposition summarizing what value they bring. If you’re looking for a low-hanging fruit method to differentiate yourself, do what job seekers hardly ever do and make a hard-to-ignore value proposition.
Increase sales: “Based on my experience managing Regina and Saskatoon for PharmaKorp, I’m confident that I can increase BioGen’s sales by no less than 25% in Winnipeg and the surrounding area by the end of 2025.”
Reduce cost: “During my 12 years as Taco Town’s head of purchasing, I renegotiated contracts with key suppliers, resulting in 15% cost savings, saving the company over $450,000 annually. I know I can do the same for The Pasta House.”
Increase customer satisfaction:“During my time at Globex Corporation, I established a systematic feedback mechanism that enabled customers to share their experiences. This led to targeted improvements, increasing our Net Promoter Score by 15 points. I can increase Dunder Mifflin’s net promoter score.”
Save time: “As Zap Delivery’s dispatcher, I implemented advanced routing software that analyzed traffic patterns, reducing average delivery times by 20%. My implementation of this software at Froggy’s Delivery can reduce your delivery times by at least 20%, if not more.”
If you want to achieve job search success as soon as possible, structure your job search with a single thread that’s evident and consistent throughout your résumé, LinkedIn profile, cover letters and especially during interviews; clearly convey what difference you’ll make to the employer.
Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers “unsweetened” job search advice. You can send Nick your questions to artoffindingwork@gmail.com.
Netflix on Thursday reported that its subscriber growth slowed dramatically during the summer, a sign the huge gains from the video-streaming service’s crackdown on freeloading viewers is tapering off.
The 5.1 million subscribers that Netflix added during the July-September period represented a 42% decline from the total gained during the same time last year. Even so, the company’s revenue and profit rose at a faster pace than analysts had projected, according to FactSet Research.
Netflix ended September with 282.7 million worldwide subscribers — far more than any other streaming service.
The Los Gatos, California, company earned $2.36 billion, or $5.40 per share, a 41% increase from the same time last year. Revenue climbed 15% from a year ago to $9.82 billion. Netflix management predicted the company’s revenue will rise at the same 15% year-over-year pace during the October-December period, slightly than better than analysts have been expecting.
The strong financial performance in the past quarter coupled with the upbeat forecast eclipsed any worries about slowing subscriber growth. Netflix’s stock price surged nearly 4% in extended trading after the numbers came out, building upon a more than 40% increase in the company’s shares so far this year.
The past quarter’s subscriber gains were the lowest posted in any three-month period since the beginning of last year. That drop-off indicates Netflix is shifting to a new phase after reaping the benefits from a ban on the once-rampant practice of sharing account passwords that enabled an estimated 100 million people watch its popular service without paying for it.
The crackdown, triggered by a rare loss of subscribers coming out of the pandemic in 2022, helped Netflix add 57 million subscribers from June 2022 through this June — an average of more than 7 million per quarter, while many of its industry rivals have been struggling as households curbed their discretionary spending.
Netflix’s gains also were propelled by a low-priced version of its service that included commercials for the first time in its history. The company still is only getting a small fraction of its revenue from the 2-year-old advertising push, but Netflix is intensifying its focus on that segment of its business to help boost its profits.
In a letter to shareholder, Netflix reiterated previous cautionary notes about its expansion into advertising, though the low-priced option including commercials has become its fastest growing segment.
“We have much more work to do improving our offering for advertisers, which will be a priority over the next few years,” Netflix management wrote in the letter.
As part of its evolution, Netflix has been increasingly supplementing its lineup of scripted TV series and movies with live programming, such as a Labor Day spectacle featuring renowned glutton Joey Chestnut setting a world record for gorging on hot dogs in a showdown with his longtime nemesis Takeru Kobayashi.
Netflix will be trying to attract more viewer during the current quarter with a Nov. 15 fight pitting former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson against Jake Paul, a YouTube sensation turned boxer, and two National Football League games on Christmas Day.
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