Looking back at U.S. domestic cargo theft trends throughout 2024 and if 2025 projections are proving correct.
Domestic cargo theft trends in the United States continue to rise as thieves begin to exploit technology intended to improve supply chain efficiency. CNBC recently reported on this increase of cargo theft activity in their article titled: Cargo thieves are attacking the U.S. supply chain at alarming rates.
Last year, we took a look at Overhaul’s United States & Canada: H1 – 2024 Cargo Theft Report which examined the data of reported cargo theft throughout the first half of 2024. Now that we are about half way through 2025, let’s take a look back at the data for the entire 2024 year and see if the predictions for 2025 are matching trends.
To view Overhaul’s most recent report, view the Overhaul Cargo Theft Report.
2024 U.S. Domestic Cargo Theft Trends
Throughout the years of 2021 – 2023, the amount of domestic cargo theft reported in the United States followed a similar pattern. The first increase in this trend began in the second half of 2023 and has been primarily attributed to the supply chain disruptions and economic challenges of that year. However, the amount of reported incidents increased severely with each passing month through 2024.
In Overhaul’s report, they recorded a total of 2,217 cargo thefts throughout the United States in 2024. 459 occurred in Q1, 492 in Q2, 579 in Q3, and 687 in Q4. This is a 49% increase in volume and a 17% increase in average value when compared to 2023.
If this 2024 trend continues, Overhaul suggests that national cargo theft volumes will experience an increase of 22% in 2025.
2025 Quarter 1 U.S. Domestic Cargo Theft Trends
Now let’s look at how the projections for 2025 have compared to the actual data available for the first quarter of 2025.
With a recorded total of 505 cargo theft incidents in the United States throughout January, February, and March of 2025, there has been a significant increase of 36.11% compared to Q1-2024. The distribution of these occurrences in the first quarter of 2025 was as follows:
- January – 37%
- February – 28%
- March – 35%
One thing to keep in mind when look at this increase in the first quarter is that, historically, there are more cargo theft incidents in the second half of the year than there are in the first half. This can be largely attributed to the increase in amount of cargo movement in the second half of the year leading up to the holiday season.
What is Being Done to Protect Your Cargo Domestically?
In order to combat this increase in cargo theft, a bipartisan bill was introduced in April by U.S. Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif., along with other lawmakers. This bill is called the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act and it would set up a coordination center within the Department of Homeland Security tasked with fighting cargo theft and organized retail crime. However, this legislation is currently pending.
And while increased security on a national level would help in the identification and prosecution of cargo thieves, it may not guarantee that you do not suffer a loss if/when your shipment is targeted. The best way to protect yourself and the investment you have made in the cargo your are moving is to have a comprehensive, all-risk cargo insurance policy in place.
Take the time to vet your providers and pay a little more for security measures. Because paying a little more now, may end up costing you a lot less later.
