Cargo theft is spreading, according to an international company that provides in-transit supply chain risk management services.
According to Overhaul, southern California experienced a 5% decrease in theft activity in December. However, it appears cargo thieves had just shifted their locations.
Overhaul said the decrease "indicates that cargo theft is proliferating and intensifying in other major metropolitan areas, including Memphis, Chicago, Indianapolis, Atlanta, and the Dallas-Fort Worth region." These areas witnessed an uptick in cargo theft in December, a trend expected to persist into this month.
December's pattern of cargo theft deviated from November's, with incidents predominantly occurring from Wednesday to Friday, rather than being evenly spread throughout the week. Despite these shifts, the weekends continued to see elevated levels of cargo theft, with Saturday and Sunday each registering over 10% of weekly incidents — a pattern consistent since October 2024. Given these trends, leaving cargo unattended during weekends poses significant risks, according to a statement from Overhaul.
Time of day analyses reveal no substantial changes; the majority of thefts still occur between 4 p.m. and midnight.
In December, there was a notable increase in last-mile courier incidents and deceptive pick ups, which surged by 13%. Looking ahead, while the frequency of last-mile courier incidents is expected to decline, cargo theft will remain a significant challenge throughout the first months of the year with pilferage, facility thefts and theft of full truckload as the main problems.
Overhauil said 27% of cargo thefts occurred at warehouses or distribution centers, and 23% occurred at company yards.
Electronics were the most targeted cargo, accounting for 33% of all thefts. Home and garden supplies were next at 23%.
Overhaul
