North American Cargo Thefts Surge 49% In 2024
Cargo theft continues to be a growing concern across North America, with a significant uptick in incidents reported during the first half of 2024. According to data from supply chain visibility firm Overhaul, theft incidents rose by 49% year-over-year, totaling 787 cases in the United States between January and June.
The financial impact of these crimes has also surged, with the average loss per incident increasing by 83% from the same period in 2023, now reaching $115,230.
Industry experts attribute this spike in theft to the increased allure of the trucking industry for criminals. Danny Ramon, Overhaul’s director of intelligence and law enforcement connect, explains that the pandemic acted as a catalyst, attracting new individuals to the world of cargo theft. Danny and I talked at length during our podcast interview about the pandemic exploding freight fraud.
Image: Southern California Red Zone. Source: Overhaul.
Hot Spots for Cargo Theft:
Certain regions and transportation routes remain particularly vulnerable:
- California: Accounts for 45% of all reported cargo thefts.
- Southern California Red Zone: The first 200 miles of travel for shipments leaving this area account for 36% of the country’s thefts.
- This region averages nearly two thefts per day, equivalent to the combined total thefts in Texas, Tennessee, Illinois, Georgia, and Arizona.
- Southern California Red Zone: The first 200 miles of travel for shipments leaving this area account for 36% of the country’s thefts.
- Texas: Ranks second with 14% of all reported thefts.
Image: U.S Cargo Theft byTop 10 States. H1-2024 vs H1-2023. Source: Overhaul.
Targeted Goods and Trends:
Cargo thieves are becoming increasingly focused on specific, high-value items:
- Electronics: The most targeted, accounting for 23% of all thefts.
- Home and Garden Products: The second most stolen, making up 14% of incidents.
Additionally, there’s been a concerning shift in where thefts occur. Facility-based thefts have increased from 4% to 19% year-over-year. Criminal networks are also focusing on stealing large quantities of smaller items, leading to a 17% rise in the average value per theft.
Image: U.S Cargo Theft By Product Type H1-2024. Source: Overhaul.
Cargo Theft by Event Type & Location:
Full truckload theft accounted for 34% of all cargo thefts in the first half of 2024, making it the most common method, despite a 14-percentage point decline from the same period in 2023. Pilferage was close behind at 33%, maintaining the same rate as last year.
While full truckload thefts experienced a slight 1% decrease in average loss value compared to 2023, pilferage thefts saw a significant 17% increase in value as large-scale pilferage incidents became more frequent.
Although full truckload and pilferage thefts continue to make up the bulk of cargo theft incidents, facility thefts are on the rise. Facility-related thefts now represent 19% of all incidents, a sharp increase from just 4% in the first half of 2023. The average loss value for facility thefts also jumped by 82% compared to the previous year.
Warehouse and distribution centers were the primary locations for large-scale cargo thefts in the first half of 2024. Unsecured parking areas, which now rank second with 19% of incidents, saw a decline of 13 percentage points compared to the same period last year.
Image: U.S Cargo Theft by Event/Location H1-2024. Source: Overhaul.