The rising role of organised crime as cargo thefts and losses rocket

By Ian Putzger Americas correspondent[1] 12/02/2025

The number of cargo thefts in North America rose by 27% last year. Data from freight security firm Varisk CargoNet shows 3,625 reported incidents in the US and Canada in 2024, with the average value of freight stolen climbing from £187,895 per theft in 2023 to £202,364. The impact is likely to be much higher, as a high percentage of crime does not get reported.

In  Q1 24 CargoNet registered 925 reported incidents that produced losses of £76m, but estimates total losses at as much as £154m. And the situation deteriorated through the year, the number of incidents up year on year every quarter. That said, the most pronounced spike in incidents was in the first quarter - an increase of 317 incidents over  Q1 23.

In Q4, CargoNet counted 94 more incidents than a year earlier, an increase of 11.8%. For the first half of last year, freight monitoring service provider Overhaul Risk Advisory Services reported a 38% surge in cargo theft. CargoNet and Overhaul both identified California and Texas as the most affected areas.

CargoNet's numbers for the full year show a 39% rise in reported incidents in Texas (Dallas County seeing a 78% surge) and a 33% increase in California. The mix of commodities targeted shows a shift in criminal priorities. In 2023, consumer items like energy drinks, oils, and solar energy products were frequent targets.

Last year, it was copper products and consumer electronics (led by audio equipment, high-end servers, and cryptocurrency mining hardware), along with cosmetics and vitamins and supplements. CargoNet views this change in focus as a strategic pivot by criminal enterprises, which it links to the rising role of organised crime in the cargo theft arena. It concluded that it points to "an evolving and increasingly sophisticated threat landscape with organised crime showing tactical adaptability in its methods and target selection".

Another indication of the heightened focus of organised crime is the rising value of stolen goods. Overhaul noted a steady increase in  incidents with loss of £1m or more between Q1 23 and Q1 24. And further evidence comes from the increase in sophistication - fraudsters producing fake identities to pose as truckers collecting loads.

And CargoNet also noted that theft from trailers and theft of complete full trailers continued at elevated levels. According to Overhaul, it takes criminals ten minutes to steal a full truckload. In January, CargoNet launched RouteScore API, which uses a proprietary algorithm to produce a theft risk score for a particular cargo route, indicating the probability of a crime along the way. It grades the probability on a scale of one to 100, based on factors like cargo type and value, length of haul, origin and destination, day of the week, and theft history at truck stops along the route.

According to various industry experts, many security solutions currently in play fall short of needs. Many rely on consistent wi-fi access, which is hardly a given on the roads, and truckers and shippers have been urged to shift their approach to the use of proactive and interventional tools. An upgrade of security arrangements seems badly needed.

CargoNet expects the trends seen in 2024 to continue this year amid the aggressive moves of crime organisations to target vulnerabilities in supply chains.

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Bjorn Vang Jensen, EVP, Ocean, Easy Speed International Logistics

References

1. ^ Ian Putzger Americas correspondent (theloadstar.com)