Cargo thefts at all-time high
Cargo theft figures rose to historic highs in recent years, and the situation doesn’t look to improve anytime soon.
In 2024, cargo crimes increased to an all-time high, up 27% from 2023, reported the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), which cited data from CargoNet. Annual cargo theft losses are expected to rise another 22% by the end of 2025.
The value of stolen merchandise and losses reached $1 billion for the first time in 2023 and increased by another 27% in 2024. The estimated average value of an individual cargo theft is more than $202,000.
The confluence of tariffs, profitability to fund criminal enterprises, enhanced technology to defeat law enforcement and geopolitical circumstances has led to an increased level of threat to the global supply chain, according to NICB.Criminals exploit cargo delivery through identity theft, fraudulent pickups, posing as fictitious carriers and cyber-enabled logistics manipulation.
“Weaknesses in common-use business technologies like voice over internet protocol (VoIP) and GPS, coupled with business email compromises, identity theft, and synthetic identities enable sophisticated criminals to reroute high-value consumer goods such as electronics, medicine, and clothing from their intended destination to the black market,” said David J. Glawe, president and CEO of the NICB, a leading non-profit association dedicated to preventing insurance fraud and crime. “Bad actors leverage these vulnerabilities, along with economic uncertainty created by ongoing tariff negotiations, for their own profit.”
The only way to stop cargo theft is through deterrence. The NICB recommends the following precautions for any entity engaged in the supply chain:
Check transportation partners before hiring. They should share your security philosophy, such as conducting background checks and employee training. Use freight brokers and transporters who do not permit double brokering. Ensure that only you as the shipper can make re-routing decisions and not the broker, transporter dispatch, etc.
The change order can only originate from the owner of the cargo. Be cautious and scrutinize emails to ensure that they are legitimate and not altered. Scrutinize and ensure phone numbers used by individuals within the supply chain are valid and if determined to be Voice Over Internet Protocol, to take additional vetting procedures.
- Screen every employee. Conduct a background check on every employee including those with access to the shipping information.
- Train employees on the signs of cargo theft. Provide security training for every employee and educate truck drivers in hijack awareness and prevention as well as how to respond and report theft.
- Implement in-transit security measures. Cargo theft can be pre-planned or opportunistic and include an inside informant who follows the goods and ultimately leads criminals to quickly dispose of the cargo. Thieves will often wait outside known shipping facilities waiting for drivers to stop. Best practice is to not stop within the first 200 miles, park in known secure locations and avoid “hot spots” – areas known for increased frequency of cargo crime.
- Keep a vigilant eye. Trucks and cargo are most vulnerable when sitting idle. Include countersurveillance – observance and 360visibility to your property and surroundings – in the duties of your security guards.
- Take advantage of technology. Utilize layers of security: ensure the perimeter, entrances, building doors, and windows are well lit. Install alarm surveillance systems, vehicle and cargo tracking, immobilizers, and advanced security seals.
- Conduct audits. Regularly look for gaps in shipment protection and stay abreast of how technology enables theft throughout the supply chain.
NICB develops proprietary threat assessments based on its own data as well as data from law enforcement, industry intelligence, CargoNet, FBI and Overhaul.
