Protect your fleet: Strategies to help prevent cargo theft

By Steven Bojan – Director of Safety Services for Transportation, Sentry Insurance
According to CargoNet, cargo theft in North America reached record levels in 2024, with 3,625 reported incidents—a 23% increase from 2023. The average loss per theft was an estimated $202,364.

To raise awareness of this growing concern, let’s examine:

• The two primary types of cargo theft

• Where thieves target trucking cargo

• The types of products most commonly stolen

• Steps fleet owners and drivers can take to help reduce this risk

Cargo theft generally falls into two categories:

• Straight theft: Criminals steal a loaded trailer by either unloading the contents into other vehicles or driving away with the entire unit.

• Strategic theft: This fastest-growing method now accounts for more than 10% of cargo crimes in the U.S. These events often involve identity theft or other computer-based means of misrepresentation. A common example is the use of fabricated documents to request pickup of a specific trailer for a brokered load.

According to CargoNet, Texas (39%) and California (33%) saw the largest year-over-year increases in theft. Additionally, these states join Illinois as the states where the most total cargo thefts occur.

At the city level, Dallas, Los Angeles, Memphis, and Miami are theft hotspots. These locations are freight crossroads or areas where cargo is changing hands as it travels from sea to rail to truck.

For specific trucking-related locations, warehouses, distribution centers, and truck stops are popular target areas for thieves.

Why doesn’t law enforcement do more to crack down on theft in these areas? Many agencies lack the resources to investigate cargo theft, which is often treated as a supply chain issue rather than a more broadly serious threat to our nation's economy.

Cargo thieves often target commodities that are hard to trace, easy to distribute, and quickly sold online. Examples include:

• Shoes

• Clothing

• Food

• Beverages

• Household goods

• Consumer electronics

The direct financial loss of stolen cargo is just the beginning. Many carriers believe their insurance fully covers the value of a load. But they may not realize they’re still responsible for the difference when shipments exceed their policy limit.

The financial impact goes beyond the stolen goods. Drivers can lose pay when they fail to deliver the expected loads, and the carrier may be liable for a shipment they never even received off the dock.

Additionally, theft can severely damage your company’s reputation, regardless of fault. This can result in lost business opportunities and even affect employee retention and recruitment efforts—further increasing the overall cost of theft.

As a fleet owner, here are some steps you can take to help protect your drivers’ cargo:

• Conduct background checks (including criminal records checks) for all job applicants, including drivers, warehouse personnel, mechanics, and office staff

• Don’t send out certificates of insurance when they're not required

• Identify high-crime routes and look for alternatives

• Minimize your drivers’ wait time, both in transit and at their destinations

• Plan shipment routes and timing to eliminate delays and reduce the amount of time cargo is left unattended

• Avoid using drop lots; if they’re necessary, identify secured and company-approved lots for your drivers to use

• Identify high-value, sensitive shipments that need increased attention and safeguarding

  • Use tenured drivers who’ve passed thorough background checks to handle these loads

  • Don’t leave these loads unattended, and prohibit the use of unsecured storage lots

  • Use team drivers for high-value loads whenever possible

• Ensure subcontractors and their employees receive and pass the same background checks as your employees

• Schedule unannounced financial and operational audits at least twice a year

• Specify the consequences of theft in your company policy, including termination and full prosecution

• Set up an anonymous tip line

• Educate drivers about cargo theft and hijacking issues; report any suspicious activity

• Instruct your drivers to not discuss the contents of their loads with anyone

• Discourage your drivers from taking discretionary stops for meals, fuel, etc. for at least 250 miles after picking up a load—thieves often follow loads as they leave the yard, hoping the driver will stop and leave the rig unattended

  • If your driver must make an essential stop during the first 250 miles, instruct them to choose a safe location and never leave the load unattended

• Vary driving routes and avoid predictable patterns

• Use only designated, company-approved, secured lots if your drivers need to briefly leave the load unattended

  • If these lots aren’t available, instruct your drivers to park the rear trailer doors against a fixed object (such as poles or fences) to help reduce pilfering opportunities

• Instruct your drivers to maintain regular communication with you while in transit—just not while they’re driving

• Encourage drivers to call 911 if they spot any suspicious activity during transit, including being followed, and drive to a well-lit public location to wait for assistance

• Allow drivers to take units home only if you’ve confirmed they have a secure parking location

• Secure all trailers (loaded and unloaded) with high-security seals combined with hardened padlocks

  • The seal should be secured by the shipper, and the bill of lading should be documented with the seal number

  • When your driver arrives at the destination, the consignee should document that the seal hasn’t been tampered with

• Consider using concealed ignition switches, fuel line lockout devices, and glad hand locks for additional security

• Mark your trailers so they’re easily identifiable

On your own lots, keep your premises adequately lit, and add additional lighting if necessary. Other recommendations include:

• Fence your grounds and place secure locks on all gates

• Restrict access to your facility keys and change any necessary locks when a keyholder leaves the company

• Restrict access to your yard and docks

• Add motion detection devices to your alarm system

  • Repeated false alarms shouldn’t automatically trigger turning down the device’s sensitivity—in fact, repeated false alarms could be someone testing the system and its response times

• Install a closed-circuit surveillance system and make sure it’s effectively monitored

• Supervise all loading and unloading operations

• Require all employees and contractors to park their vehicles off premises

In a fictitious pickup scheme, criminals pose as legitimate truck drivers to steal cargo directly from shippers. They can accomplish this through identity theft or even using a fake company and online tools to secure bids for posted loads.

Use the following proactive strategies to help prevent these types of losses:

• Validate all booking information from the broker before scheduling the shipment, including calling to verify the broker is legitimate

• Vet the motor carrier before releasing a load:

  • Check their financial condition and tax ID information

  • Use the FMCSA’s SAFER system to find company information

• Use tracking technology to monitor your cargo—examples listed below

• Use GPS tracking for power units, trailers, and cargo—this technology helps law enforcement locate and recover both equipment and cargo

• Include Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits (RFICs) asset tracking with cargo to assist authorities in recovering stolen items

• Set up geofencing to notify dispatch when a unit leaves its preset course

By developing and implementing strong countermeasures, you can help reduce your risk of cargo theft.

For more information to help you prevent cargo theft in your operation, contact a Sentry representative, or visit sentry.com.