In total, the overall number of goods transport vehicles stolen was 9,036 – a 15.5% increase on 2021.
On average, this means that two commercial vehicles were stolen every hour. Of those vehicles, the Viasat report found that 43.5% were salvaged. However, in the case of HGVs, the recovery percentage drops to 34%.
The greatest number of thefts was recorded in the Puglia region (1,533), followed by Lombardy (1,527), Lazio (1,273) and Campania (1,179).
Commenting on the figures, Gianni Barzaghi, managing director of the Fleet Italia Business Unit of Viasat, said:
“Gangs of technologically prepared criminals see trucks and vans as easily targets. Even when the vehicles are recovered, very often they have already been ‘cleaned’ of the goods they were carrying. Therefore, how can one defend themself? Satellite technology is certainly the safest method, because it allows the vehicle to be protected and, if stolen, to be found using geolocation.”
Naturally, Mr Barzaghi would say this given his employer’s business interests. The figures are nonetheless alarming and shed light on the scale of vehicle and freight theft in Italy.
Photo: 罗布泊, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (image cropped)
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