When you think of a multi-million-dollar heist, you may be thinking about a bank robbery. If your mind drifted to cargo, you might think about auto-haulers or electronics. But what about nuts?

Not nuts as in “crazy”. Actual nuts. In California, multiple thefts of nuts have occurred, and truck drivers have been targeted to unwittingly assist in these robberies. Read on to find out more and how you can avoid being liable for cargo thefts.

How Were Truck Drivers Involved?

These cargo thefts didn’t involve hold-ups or violence. What happened was much simpler and harder to trace back to the original criminals.

Truck drivers, especially owner-operators bidding on load boards, would get hired for a pick-up and drop-off. These jobs would look legitimate. Drivers were provided with fake documents, and they would be paid real money to pick up a shipment of nuts and drop it off somewhere else.

But these drivers were actually stealing another person’s load. And many drivers were completely unaware they were involved in a theft.

The Case of Trucker Martinez

In one case reported by The Bulletin, an unemployed truck driver named Francisco Javier Lopez Martinez was paid $180 to pick up 43,000 pounds of almonds at a processing plant. The driver was then instructed to park the truck at a specific address and walk away.

Martinez was given a truck to drive, but the trucking firm was fraudulent. The truck had a fake logo applied to the side of the vehicle, and it had stolen plates. The “firm” also gave Martinez a fake driver’s license to use.

Martinez knew the job was suspicious, but he needed the money.

A transportation broker tipped off the sheriff, however, and Martinez was arrested. He was sentenced to 350 days in jail and hthree years probation for commercial burglary and possession of fake identification.

What Should Truck Drivers Do?

Always do your due diligence and research on a trucking company that may hire you. Owner-operators should be especially careful about the variety of jobs on load boards.

Truck drivers can walk away. If a job looks suspicious, alert the authorities or ask to speak to someone higher up in the trucking firm. You may be dealing with organized criminals.

Why Nuts?

Nuts may seem like an odd choice at first, but they’re actually the perfect target. They can’t be immediately traced like other products that can be scanned and accounted for easily. Nuts also last for a long time, and they can be shipped all over the world.

California’s nut shipments make up a $9 billion dollar industry in the state.

Nut Jobs Podcast

While you’re on the road, why not listen to the Nut Jobs podcast by Mark Fennell? The podcast is available on Audible and covers the California nut heists.

It’s a great listen for truck drivers, and you may learn more tips to protect your nuts.