Freight theft rising: Strategies to protect your cargo

The February freight theft arrest tied to that double-broker scheme is more than an isolated crime. It reflects a structural shift in freight theft: from opportunistic trailer break-ins to coordinated, technology-enabled cargo theft and freight fraud that target high-value shipments at scale.  

For shippers, the implications are financial and operational. Cargo theft now costs the domestic trucking industry $6.6 billion annually—roughly $18 million per day. Across the broader U.S. supply chain, losses reach an estimated $35 billion each year. And those figures only reflect the hard-dollar value of stolen goods, not the cascading impact on production timelines, customer commitments and working capital. 

In this article:  

• The new face of freight theft
• The financial impact is accelerating
• Congress responds with CORCA
• What does CORCA propose?
• How shippers minimize the cost impact of freight theft
• Build freight theft defense into your supply chain

A $325,000 shipment of frozen crabs doesn’t disappear by accident. The February freight theft arrest tied to that double-broker scheme is more than an isolated crime. Federal investigators report that the criminals infiltrated legitimate carrier emails and used fraudulent load bookings to steal the shipment and resell it. 

This incident reflects a structural shift in freight theft: from opportunistic trailer break-ins to coordinated, technology-enabled cargo fraud that targets high-value shipments at scale. For shippers, the implications are both financial and operational. Cargo theft now costs the domestic trucking industry $6.6 billion annually—roughly $18 million per day. Across the broader U.S. supply chain, losses reach an estimated $35 billion each year. And those figures only account for the hard-dollar value of stolen goods, not the cascading impact on production timelines, customer commitments or working capital. 

At the same time, federal lawmakers are advancing the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA) to address organized cargo crime. But legislation alone won’t protect your transportation budget. The real defense starts inside your supply chain.  

This is where executive leadership matters. 

In this blog, we explain the scheme behind the double-broker “crab heist” and the proposed legislation focused on organized cargo thieves. Our closer look at freight theft frequency and economic impact–including $171.5 million in 2025 claims filed by Infios Claims Management users–illustrates the need for best practices we share at the conclusion. 

The new face of freight theft 

The frozen crab shipment is just one example of a growing trend: freight theft is increasingly strategic and digitally sophisticated. In this case, investigators say the perpetrators gained access to legitimate truckload carrier email accounts, booked loads using stolen identities and diverted the shipments for resale. 

The stolen goods allegedly included:  

• 33,750 pounds of crabs valued at $325,000 
• $433,830 worth of cologne 
• Several pallets of blueberries 

This was not random theft. It was strategic. 

Modern cargo theft schemes now: 

• Exploit compromised digital identities 
• Use forged bills of lading and fictitious pickups 
• Target high-value loads at distribution centers, truck stops and rail yards 
• Move stolen cargo through freight-forwarding and money-laundering networks 

In other words, freight theft increasingly mirrors enterprise operations. Criminal groups use data, coordination and logistics expertise—just as legitimate transportation providers do.

The financial impact is accelerating 

North American cargo theft reports set records in 2024, increasing 27% from the prior year. While total incident counts held relatively steady last year, estimated losses surged 60% to nearly $725 million as organized groups shifted focus to higher-value shipments. Average losses now exceed $200,000 per event. 

Infios Claims Management data reinforces the trend.  

In 2025, users filed: 

• 3,985 theft claims worth $171.5 million 
• 97,815 shortage or lost cargo claims exceeding $551 million 

Theft-related claims accounted for 14.5% of total claim value across 120,000 supported companies. In January alone, users reported $23 million in freight theft claims and $21.8 million in shortage or lost claims. The shortage category deserves attention. Not every loss labeled “shortage” is criminal, but recurring discrepancies may indicate organized freight fraud. For CFOs and transportation leaders, the distinction matters less than the financial reality: the money leaves the business either way. 

And recovering margin is far harder than losing it. 

A $50 write-off at a 2% margin requires roughly $2,500 in new sales to break even. Scale that math to a six-figure theft event. 

Congress responds with CORCA 

The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA) of 2025 targets sophisticated theft networks that disrupt supply chains across the United States. The legislation’s findings highlight why lawmakers see action as critical:  

• Organized theft groups are increasingly sophisticated and structured, operating at unprecedented levels to steal both physical and digital goods.  
• Product manufacturers and supply chains face alarming increases in cargo theft, from rails and roads to distribution points nationwide.  
• State and local law enforcement often lack the resources or jurisdictional reach to pursue criminal networks that operate across state lines and international borders.  
• Criminal hierarchies can redistribute stolen goods and illicit profits quickly, with little regard for product and consumer safety. 

These findings form the basis for CORCA’s proposals to expand federal enforcement authority, enhance intelligence sharing and increase penalties for organized cargo theft. The legislation has received bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House, moving closer to full consideration. 

What does CORCA propose? 

CORCA aims to modernize federal law enforcement tools to align with increasingly sophisticated criminal operations. 

The bill would: 

• Expand federal authority under Title 18 of the U.S. Code, allowing prosecutors to aggregate cases typically treated as smaller, disconnected thefts. 
• Create a Department of Homeland Security Crime Coordination Center to improve intelligence sharing and joint enforcement across retail and multimodal supply chains. 
• Increase penalties for organized cargo theft, especially cases involving interstate or international movement of stolen goods. 

If approved in the House, CORCA moves to the U.S. Senate for consideration.

How shippers minimize the cost impact of freight theft 

Prioritize supply chain cybersecurity management 

Regular system updates, routine checks and strong antivirus measures form your first line of defense against cyberattack. Confirm that supply chain partners share your security focus. Software providers performing Static Application Security Testing (SAST) and Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) uncover and fix vulnerabilities during development to stay ahead of security threats. 

Procure trusted capacity using automation 

Modern Transportation Management Systems (TMS) with automated routing guides help you source and procure freight capacity from your trusted carriers. Digital freight networks offer additional flexibility to access spot capacity at market rates while safeguarding against freight fraud.  

Prepare every freight claim efficiently and completely 

Recovering stolen or short shipments requires filing claims within strict carrier deadlines and conditions. For many companies, the administrative burden outweighs the cost of a write-off for lower-value claims. However, automation-based solutions standardize and streamline these time-consuming processes to accelerate resolution and return money to your bottom line. Cloud-based document management improves recovery rates by allowing easy access to shipping documents, product value evidence, damage photographs and communication records. 

Protect future shipments from freight theft 

Lost or short shipments are easier to overlook than a stolen trailer, and in a global supply chain, you can’t change what you can’t see. Supply chain reporting that identifies freight claim trends across modes, states and countries can eliminate recurring incidents. Root-cause analysis informs shippers about problem points so they can adjust transportation strategies and processes to avoid them in the future.