TT Club applauds UK Parliamentary calls for more resource to tackle freight crime

TT Club, specialist freight transport insurer, has long campaigned for heightening awareness of freight crime and the need for additional security and policing resources.  TT therefore greatly welcomed the recent cross-party parliamentary debate on the issue, and the resulting support for increased governmental resource to resolve the growing risk.

The UK’s House of Commons debate held in December 2024 was a significant step in highlighting an issue that has a high degree of impact on public safety and the UK’s economy, in particular its future growth much relied upon by the current government. It also acknowledged the lack of resource specifically targeted at fighting freight crime.   

National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS) is under-supported and under-funded. Their specialist freight crime investigation team currently has just one full-time serving police officer on secondment, a part-time analyst and a part-time data entry clerk. It does not have the resources to tackle organized crime on a national scale.

TT has long supported NaVCIS financially and practically. Mike Yarwood, its MD Loss Prevention, said: “We very much welcomed the airing of this issue at a legislative level.  The detailed aspects of both opportunistic and well-planned theft; the lack of secure overnight parking facilities; the identification of crime hotspots as well as concerns over driver safety, which is discouraging female recruits, were all discussed and their significance put into perspective as priorities to be addressed.”

The UK’s road haulage industry, which moves 89% of all goods and 98% of agricultural and food products in the country contributes £13.5 billion to the economy. This represents 5.6% of the UK’s GDP. Every pound generated by the logistics industry creates three pounds down the supply chain and contributes to the economy, highlighting the widespread impact of freight crime for the UK.

TT will maintain its efforts. Yarwood is vice-chair of the industry-led HGV Parking Capacity and Standards Task and Finish group, which the UK’s Department for Transport helped establish. 

Yarwood is leading the workstream focused on standards at lorry parking facilities and working with NaVCIS Freight and other industry stakeholders in producing an industry-led report, which will advise the government on recommendations to reduce freight crime. 

“Our report is aimed at providing a detailed analysis of the current state of freight crime and offer practical solutions to enhance security and reduce incidents. In underscoring the importance of industry and government working together to safeguard the logistics sector, we hope our collaboration will encourage others to add their weight to the efforts fight crime,” concluded Yarwood.

Photo credit: iStock/ tampatra

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