Evolving Tactics in Cargo Theft: Insights from Industry Experts

The trucking sector is grappling with an increasingly complex landscape of cargo theft, as highlighted by Keith Lewis from Verisk Analytics’ CargoNet. He pointed out that the first quarter saw a notable uptick in fraud attempts, which are particularly challenging to tackle. “Even if these scams don’t succeed,” he explained, “they still represent criminal activity.”

CargoNet’s findings revealed that while overall cargo theft incidents dropped by about 10.9% year-over-year—from 925 to 824—the average value per incident surged by an impressive 42%, climbing from $282,000 to $401,000. Customary straight thefts made up a meaningful portion of these cases at 451 incidents.

When it comes to what’s being stolen, Lewis noted that shifting tariffs have influenced criminals’ targets. Food and beverages topped the list again with 27 reported cases this quarter. Metals and apparel followed closely behind with each category seeing around 23 incidents; household goods accounted for another 21.

Danny Ramon from Overhaul added some insight into regional trends: “We’re noticing more specialization among thieves based on product types across different areas,” he said. This suggests various crews are operating independently and targeting what they find most appealing.

Overhaul’s report indicated that cargo theft events rose by about one-third compared to last year—totaling around 505—with pilferages making up nearly half of all cases reported. California remains the hotspot for such crimes at nearly two-fifths of all incidents recorded.

“The patterns haven’t shifted much; we’re still facing challenges,” Ramon stated regarding california’s persistent lead in cargo thefts despite some changes within its rankings.

The Transported asset Protection association (TAPA) recently hosted its T1 National Cargo Theft Summit in May and saw record attendance levels as discussions intensified around evolving criminal strategies.

TAPA Americas Chairman Scott Cornell shared his observations on how methods have diversified over time: “In my experience dealing with cargo crime,” he noted, “there used to be just five or six tactics commonly employed; now there are likely over fifteen.” This shift reflects a broader trend towards more sophisticated operations as between late-2020 and early-2022 when smaller regional gangs transitioned into larger international networks.

Cornell emphasized how quickly these methods are changing—frequently enough leaving companies scrambling for effective defenses against them—a key takeaway from Q1 insights.

A global perspective provided by BSI Consulting indicates that trucks account for approximately seventy percent of all cargo thefts worldwide; this figure rises even higher—upwards of eighty percent—in North America alone.

“Southern California remains central to this issue,” Tony Pelli from BSI remarked but also pointed out emerging hotspots like Toronto and Ontario where similar patterns are beginning to surface.” He also mentioned rail-related crimes which make up only eight percent but show signs of increasing prevalence primarily concentrated again in Southern California.”