Cargo theft costs the trucking industry more than $18 million a day, and the thieves are becoming more selective, not less active. Thefts fell 26 percent in the second quarter of 2026, yet losses more than doubled to about $304.6 million, because criminals are targeting fewer, higher value loads. Carriers can fight back by verifying every pickup, guarding their email accounts and limiting how much shipment information they share, a theme the American Trucking Associations put front and center at its MCE26 conference in Charlotte.
I attended the event’s setup day last Saturday in Charlotte, North Carolina. I went after a Volvo Trucks representative I met at the all new Volvo VNX media preview in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania asked whether I would be there.
How Much Does Cargo Theft Cost Trucking?
The American Transportation Research Institute puts the annual cost to the industry at up to $6.6 billion, or more than $18 million per day. ATRI found that motor carriers average more than $520,000 a year in theft losses, while logistics service providers average more than $1.84 million.
The pattern is shifting
The pattern is shifting. According to Verisk CargoNet, the U.S. and Canada recorded 677 cargo thefts in the second quarter of 2026, down 26 percent from a year earlier, but losses more than doubled to about $304.6 million.
Here is what the latest data shows:
- Annual cost to trucking: Up to $6.6 billion, according to ATRI
- Daily cost: More than $18 million
- Second quarter 2026 thefts: 677, down 26 percent year over year
- Second quarter 2026 losses: About $304.6 million, more than double a year earlier
- Average reported loss per theft: About $564,000
- Top targets: Copper and other metals, computer and networking equipment, and crypto mining hardware
What Did ATA Say About Cargo Theft at MCE26?
Cargo theft was one of the main topics on October 20. “Cargo theft rings are targeting freight with greater precision. According to ATRI, it’s costing trucking $18 million every day. But we’re fighting back,” ATA wrote on X.
ATA said cargo theft expert Scott Cornell shared insights on how the industry can protect itself. ATA’s Henry Hanscom and Alex Rosen joined the discussion to highlight the federation’s support for the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, which ATA said “would strengthen enforcement across state lines.”
https://x.com/TRUCKINGdotORG/status/2112577561129533588
Carriers welcomed the focus
Carriers welcomed the focus. “Cargo theft is a big concern for carriers. Glad to see this being discussed at #ATAMCE26,” Fox Carriers replied.
How Are Cargo Thieves Stealing Loads Now?
Many thefts no longer involve breaking into a parked trailer. CargoNet reports that business email compromise and shipment misdirection remain a primary way in, and fictitious pickups, where criminals pose as a legitimate carrier to collect a load, held nearly steady in the second quarter.
That makes information a target. Thieves who learn where a load is going, who is hauling it and when it will arrive can intercept it without ever touching a lock.
How Does Volvo Connect Share a Load’s Location Safely?
I asked Volvo Trucks whether it had security
I asked Volvo Trucks whether it had security or tracking features to highlight. A Volvo Trucks media representative pointed to a transport tracking feature in Volvo Connect, the company’s fleet management platform.
“In the Transport Tracking area of Maps, a Fleet Admin can now create a transport tracker link by selecting the vehicle, start time, end time, destination, and a custom message. The Fleet admin role can then share this link with the customer, allowing them to track their transport,” the representative wrote.
The design limits what the link reveals. “The link does not include any information about the driver, vehicle, delivery address, or direction. It only displays the current position and the custom message,” the representative explained.
Here is how the Volvo Connect tracking link works:
- Created by: A fleet administrator in the Transport Tracking area of Maps
- Shared with: The customer, through a public link that does not require a Volvo Connect account
- Maximum life: 48 hours
- What it shows: Only the truck’s current position and a custom message
- What it hides: Driver, vehicle, delivery address and direction of travel
- Automatic shutoff: When the truck is within 500 meters, about 1,640 feet, of the delivery point
- Updates: Each time the truck reports a new position
That automatic shutoff is the detail that stood
That automatic shutoff is the detail that stood out to me. According to Volvo, it prevents “the address from being displayed after the delivery has been completed.”
A tracking link alone will not stop organized theft. But sharing less information with fewer people is exactly the kind of habit security experts recommend, and this feature lets customers follow a shipment without receiving the details thieves look for.
What Was on Display at ATA MCE26?
Setup day was quiet, with exhibitors building booths and moving equipment into place. Several Volvo Class 8 trucks were already prominently displayed, and I captured photos and video for Torque News’ social channels.
Volvo has been busy this fall
Volvo has been busy this fall. The company told me a new truck platform takes 10 years to develop, with AI now part of the toolkit, and the new VNX lineup goes on sale with three models and four trims starting October 26.
How Can Carriers Protect Their Loads?
Carriers cannot control organized crime rings, but they can make themselves harder targets. Here is a practical checklist:
- Verify every carrier and driver before releasing a load, including a callback to a known phone number
- Protect company email with multifactor authentication, since email compromise is a leading entry point
- Be cautious with last minute changes to pickup or delivery instructions
- Share shipment details only with people who need them, and for as short a time as possible
- Use secure, well lit parking and avoid leaving loaded trailers unattended
- Use tracking tools that limit what outsiders can see
- Report thefts quickly to law enforcement and industry networks like CargoNet
Cargo theft has moved from the truck stop parking lot to the inbox. The carriers that guard their information as carefully as their trailers will be the hardest to rob.
Has your fleet been targeted by a fake
Has your fleet been targeted by a fake pickup or email scam? What steps have worked best to protect your loads? Let us know in the comments below.
Armen Hareyan is the founder and Editor in Chief of Torque News, where he has covered the automotive industry for over 15 years. Now based in the Charlotte region (Indian Land, SC, he founded Torque News in 2010, which since then has been publishing expert news and analysis about the automotive industry. Armen holds three Masters Degrees, including an MBA, and has become one of the known voices in the industry, specializing in the landscape of electric vehicles and real-world stories of actual car owners. Armen focuses on providing readers with transparent, data-backed analysis bridging the gap of complex engineering and car buyer practicality. Armen regularly attends automotive drive events organized by major car brands throughout the United States, national and local car reveals and personally test-drives new vehicles every week. Armen has also been published as an automotive expert in industry magazines, discussing how will autonomous vehicles reshape the supply chain, and emerging technologies in vehicle maintenance.
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Images by Armen Hareyan from ATA MCE26.
