The Florida Trucking Association has signed an agreement with antitheft group CargoNet to use the company's resources to combat cargo theft in the state. The groups will also work together to lobby for stricter penalties for thieves and the allocation of public resources to hire more police officers dedicated to stopping cargo theft, CargoNet said today.

CargoNet said it will assist the state trucking group to collect, aggregate, and analyze cargo-theft data in an effort to aid law enforcement with recoveries and to better identify trends. Their collective efforts will also assist the state to better understand the potential damages of intrastate theft, the company said.

Formed in 2010, CargoNet uses a national database and information-sharing system managed by crime analysts and subject-matter experts. CargoNet said that since its launch it has helped members recover more than $50 million in stolen tractors, trailers, and cargo.

Florida ranked third in 2015 cargo thefts with 98 reported incidents, trailing only California and Texas, according to CargoNet. The estimated loss value in the state for the past two years was about $31.6 million, CargoNet said.

In general, it is believed the CargoNet data underreports the actual number of nationwide incidents because victims are unwilling to go public with incident information.

Because of its size and the large number of high-value consumer goods that trucks bring in, Florida is considered prime territory for cargo theft. The state "has been a hot spot for cargo theft for some time now," said Ken Armstrong, the trucking group's president and CEO, in a statement. The CargoNet model has been "shown to be effective, and we have no doubt that together we can help our members mitigate their risk of becoming a victim and, in fact, recover if their trucks and cargo are stolen."

Florida is the fourth state whose trucking association has joined with CargoNet. The others are Georgia, Tennessee, and New Jersey.

CargoNet is owned by Verisk Analytics, based in Jersey City, N.J.