Complex cargo theft schemes are increasingly deceiving supply chains, as organized crime grows more sophisticated, American Trucking Associations Senior Vice President and Chief Economist Bob Costello said during an October panel at the 2025 Management Conference & Exhibition.
International criminal networks are actively stealing freight in the U.S., Costello noted, and many of these groups possess deep industry knowledge — enough to persuade drivers to divert shipments to unauthorized drop sites, even when drivers sense something may be wrong.
ATA President and CEO Chris Spear echoed those concerns in his MCE address, warning that transnational criminal organizations are deliberately targeting the highest-value freight. “They attack our companies and identify the most high-value freight available, delivering it to dummy drop sites and making it nearly impossible to track,” Spear said.
The scope of the problem continues to grow. In June, the National Insurance Crime Bureau projected cargo thefts would rise 22% this year, building on already historic highs. Meanwhile, a report released last month by the American Transportation Research Institute estimated that cargo theft caused between $1.8 billion and $6.6 billion in direct and indirect losses in 2023.
Strategic thefts — defined by ATRI as planned or targeted attacks — are becoming increasingly prevalent, according to Cheryl Garcia, senior vice president of government transportation at U.S. Bank, who joined Costello on the panel titled “Strategic Perspectives for Carriers in Uncertain Times.” ATRI data show that such incidents rose from less than 9% of cargo thefts in 2022 to 25% in 2023.
The structure of some criminal networks allows theft operations to persist even after arrests are made. Panelist Amy Horn, director of intermodal pricing at J.B. Hunt Transport Services, said her company has identified individuals involved in cargo theft only to see them post bail and resume criminal activity within 24 hours.
Cyber-enabled schemes are now the most common method used in strategic cargo thefts, the National Motor Freight Traffic Association said last month in comments to the U.S. Department of Transportation. According to the NMFTA, hijackers are creating lookalike load-board websites, impersonating legitimate load-board representatives, and exploiting unsecured or outdated telematics systems to reroute shipments.
“Cyber-enabled cargo theft is a dynamic and complex threat, but it is not insurmountable,” the NMFTA said in its theft-prevention guide. “Threat actors will continue to adapt with new tactics, from phishing schemes and ransomware to identity theft and insider collusion.” Still, the organization emphasized that transportation companies can significantly reduce their risk exposure through stronger safeguards.
Law enforcement agencies are also confronting new forms of organized cargo crime. Earlier this year, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in Florida arrested four individuals linked to a pattern of thefts involving electronic control modules removed from Freightliner trucks at short-term storage facilities.
“There’s a strong secondary market for ECMs,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said during a July news conference, noting the devices can sell for $3,000 to $10,000 each. “They would take them and sell them to a broker in Texas, who would wipe them clean.”
Authorities said the crime ring caused an estimated $776,000 in losses.
