Amazon, UPS, FedEx Drivers Victims of Carjackings and Cargo Theft

Glenn Taylor
·4 min read
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The nationwide cargo theft problem has had an impact on UPS, FedEx and Amazon delivery drivers in the span of just six days—bookended by two separate incidents in the same area.

On Nov. 9, a UPS driver was carjacked at gunpoint in Glenarden, Md. around 2 p.m. by several armed suspects, who took off with the truck. The incident was caught on camera via Ring doorbell footage shared by local Washington D.C. TV news affiliate Fox 5.

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Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD) said the victim was not injured and there have been no arrests made. The UPS truck was found abandoned not far from where it was stolen, the Fox report said. No goods were cited as being stolen. UPS said in a statement at the time that they were aware of the incident and cooperating with the investigation.

“Our priority is the safety and well-being of our employees,” a UPS representative told Sourcing Journal. “We work with local law enforcement across the country to stay abreast of crime in specific areas and take appropriate measures if criminal activity becomes a concern. As this is an ongoing investigation, we are not able to make additional comments at this time, but instead defer to investigating authorities.”

Sourcing Journal reached out to the PGPD but did not receive comment.

Two days later, on Saturday, a horde of roughly 40 people ransacked a 53-foot FedEx semi-trailer in cargo theft hotbed Memphis, Tenn., with the driver reporting the theft occurred after 8:30 p.m. Multiple men reportedly jumped into the trailer after multiple cars blocked the truck from passing through an intersection. The trailer theft was part of a wider operation across multiple local gas stations, where $15,000 in merchandise was stolen.

Three men have since been detained by Memphis police after the group caused nearly $10,000 in damages, and stole numerous items from the trailer such as Kicker car speakers, a box of air liner tire inserts and three DirectTV cable boxes. The thieves were detained Sunday after being caught by a security detail at an apartment complex with several packages in their car.

According to a Memphis police report, The FedEx tractor trailer was sealed with a safety latch before the suspects broke it off with an unknown tool. The suspects then broke into the back of the trailer and stole multiple packages from the truck. Police said multiple boxes with various items were scattered all over the road.

“The safety of our team members and the security of our customers’ shipments are top priorities, and we are grateful there were no serious injuries as a result of this incident,” a FedEx spokesperson said. “We are cooperating fully with investigating authorities and taking appropriate steps to address this matter.”

Two more incidents involved Amazon drivers: the first one occurred Sunday in Atlanta, and the second on Tuesday occured in southeastern Washington, D.C.

According to a report from the Atlanta Police Department, the driver, Tabatha Keyshaura, said she stopped to make a delivery, before leaving her truck unattended for less than 10 seconds, when upward of 10 individuals had entered the rear of the truck and stole approximately 10 to 12 boxes and packages.

“Safety is always our top priority and we’re glad that the driver in this video is OK,” Amazon spokesperson Steve Kelly told Sourcing Journal. “Thankfully, incidents like this are rare across our network—comprising a fraction of all Amazon deliveries in the United States. Nonetheless, we will look for ways to get better because even a single incident like this is one too many.”

Investigators are working to figure out the identities of the suspects and determine the circumstances behind the robbery. None of the individuals involved have been apprehended.

The second Amazon incident started as a carjacking, like UPS, before devolving into a full-blown 40-minute car chase that ended in Prince George’s County.

Officials said the suspect carjacked an Amazon delivery van at gunpoint, with the PGPD saying they got involved in the pursuit around 7:55 p.m. Authorities said a shot was fired along the way, but no one was hit. The delivery driver was not seriously hurt in the carjacking.

The chase culminated in a crash in Capitol Heights, Md. The suspect fled the scene, but was arrested nearby and remains in custody.

It is unclear if the second Amazon incident has any connection to the UPS carjacking. The suspect’s name and the charges they face were not immediately released.

Cargo theft incidents are only getting worse throughout the supply chain. Cargo theft prevention and recovery solution CargoNet recorded 692 instances of cargo theft across the U.S. and Canada in the third quarter of 2023, a 59 percent increase versus a year ago.