The incidence of cargo theft is expected to worsen during the upcoming holiday week, particularly around Thanksgiving. CargoNet, which monitors such activities, is cautioning supply chain professionals about the significantly heightened threat of cargo theft during this holiday season. Since November 2022, there has been a noticeable surge in theft reports, with an average of 51 incidents per week, marking a substantial 64% increase compared to historical data from January 2012 to October 2022.

The situation seems to be escalating further. Between October 1 and November 11, CargoNet recorded an average of 66 theft reports per week, representing a staggering 113% increase from the historical average between January 2012 and October 2022.

In an official statement, CargoNet expressed its concern, stating that the risk during this upcoming holiday is unprecedented in recent years. They highlighted that strategic cargo theft groups have demonstrated a pattern of increasing their activities around major holidays, taking advantage of the heightened pressure on logistics brokers, making them more prone to errors. CargoNet is particularly worried that the recent uptick in theft, especially of unattended, loaded vehicles, in locations such as Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta, and Southern California, will persist during the holiday period.

The Strategic Cargo Theft Threat

CargoNet has reported a significant spike in theft events, recording 433 new incidents since October 2023, marking a substantial 101% increase compared to the previous year. Among the reported crimes during this period, 35% were attributed to strategic cargo thefts, fictitious pickups, and identity fraud. Notably, 56% of strategic cargo thefts occurred in California, with higher frequency observed in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Orange counties. The most commonly stolen items in strategic cargo thefts included alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, motor oils, auto parts, apparel, solar energy generation items, and nutritional supplements.

CargoNet highlighted that organized crime groups engaging in these activities employ various tactics to secure a load tender. These tactics include outright impersonation of legitimate motor carriers, using registered or illicitly obtained authorities, and deceiving motor carriers into providing access to critical accounts. Recent incidents have seen criminals posing as outsourced dispatch services, hired by multiple motor carriers. They gained unauthorized access to emails, load board accounts, and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration accounts, effectively “hijacking” authorities to obtain load tenders and steal truckload shipments. The criminals, appearing legitimate by communicating through official accounts, successfully deceived their victims.

CargoNet issued a warning to logistics brokers, urging heightened vigilance during the upcoming holiday season. In the event of a load tender being emailed to a potential cargo thief, immediate action to change pickup information with the shipper is crucial to prevent theft, according to CargoNet.

Full Truckload Threat

From October 2023 onwards, CargoNet has observed a rise in the theft of unattended, loaded vehicles throughout the United States. The heightened risk during the holiday season is attributed to the increased likelihood that unattended freight will be left without surveillance for several days until a driver returns to finalize the delivery. Notably, truckload theft rings have targeted shipments of significant appliances, small appliances, non-alcoholic beverages, ATVs, and construction equipment. The concern is that these valuable cargoes left unattended become attractive targets for theft, posing a notable risk during the holiday period.

Thefts have been especially common in:

  • Dallas-Fort Worth, particularly along South Freeway at the I-20 and I-35W intersections in Fort Worth, Texas
  • Atlanta Metro Area particularly around Tucker and Stone Mountain and South Fulton, Fairburn, and Palmetto
  • Florida in major freight hubs like Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, and Miami
  • Southern California, especially in San Bernardino County and Riverside County