Heavy Duty Trucking Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Cargo Theft Incidents Fall, Average Value Up

The number of cargo thefts in the U.S posted a significant decline in the third quarter of the year but the average value of each crime moved up slightly, as big-value heists jumped, according to logistics-security services provider FreightWatch International.

Evan Lockridge
Evan LockridgeFormer Business Contributing Editor
November 5, 2015
Cargo Theft Incidents Fall, Average Value Up

The most intensely shaded areas show where cargo thefts happened the most during the third quarter of 2015. Graphic: FWI

3 min to read


The most intensely shaded areas show where cargo thefts happened the most during the third quarter of 2015.Graphic: FWI

The number of cargo thefts in the U.S posted a significant decline in the third quarter of the year but the average value of each crime moved up slightly, as big-value heists jumped, according to logistics-security services provider FreightWatch International.

A total of 152 cargo thefts were recorded with 63 of these incidents occurring in July, 57 in August, and 32 in September. The total is down 18% from the second quarter and 24% lower than compared to the third quarter of 2014.

Ad Loading...

The average loss value per incident during this time was $199,467, a 7% increase in value from the second quarter, but was skewed by a single large facility theft. If this value is removed, the average value fell 3% year-over-year.

There were nine recorded high-dollar heists in the third quarter, those valued at more than $1 million, compared to five in the second quarter of this year and one during the third quarter of 2015.

Food and drinks continued to be the most stolen product type in the third quarter, with 22% of total thefts in the U.S. during this time. Products that were primarily targeted in this category include meats and nuts. Electronics, whose largest share of thefts were comprised of televisions and displays, ranked as the second most stolen product type, with 12% of the total.

Ad Loading...

There are two product types that experienced elevated theft volume from the previous quarter as well as the same quarter last year. Pharmaceuticals increased its count of thefts over both the previous quarter and the same quarter of last year by 125% and 350%, respectively. In terms of theft volume, tobacco rose by 50% and 200% over second quarter this year and a year earlier, respectively.

California ranks as the top state for cargo theft with 20% of total thefts in the third quarter, a decrease of 6% from this year’s second quarter total and a drop of 26% from the third quarter of 2014. Texas with 16% of the total, came in second during the third quarter, while Florida ranked third in this quarter with 15% of the total.

One noteworthy state on this list is Nevada, which is making its first-ever appearance in the top 10 at ninth place with 2% of the total, with all heists being facility thefts of electronics.

Unsecured parking was the most prevalent location for large-scale cargo thefts and was identified in 82% of reported incidents. Of these thefts, 26% occurred at public parking facilities and another 16% each from truckstops and roadsides.

Incidents involving theft of full truckload continued to be the most prevalent method of theft during the third quarter, with 81% of all reported thefts.

Ad Loading...

The full report is available from the FreightWatch International website.

More Fleet Management

Red Kodiak-branded autonomous tractor with Charger-branded trailer backed up to warehouse
Fleet Management•October 30, 2026

Kodiak Lines Up Fleets for Driverless Trucking

An agreement for 75 trucks, a new Texas freight lane, and progress on safety validation move Kodiak closer to its planned driverless highway launch.

Read More →
Illustration with Star of David and EEOC logo
Fleet Management•by News/Media Release•October 28, 2026

ITS Logistics Settles Religious Harassment Case

The Nevada-based logistics firm agreed to pay more than $396,000 to settle a religious harassment charge involving an employee's Jewish identity.

Read More →
Truck on divided interstate highway driving toward sunrise
Fleet Management•October 27, 2026

Your Trucks Are Busy. That Doesn’t Mean They’re Winning.

High utilization doesn’t always mean strong margins. Looking beyond the current load can help fleets make better dispatch decisions and get more value from each truck’s time.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
ATA economist Bob Costello speaking beside a graph showing truckload operating costs rising as freight revenue per mile declined after 2022.
Fleet Management•by Deborah Lockridge•October 22, 2026

Why This Trucking Recovery Is Different

Freight demand remains sluggish, but rising costs and tougher enforcement have taken enough capacity out of the market to change the outlook for motor carriers.

Read More →
PS Coach tablet interface showing a driver’s coaching inbox, safety event video and coaching advice for a harsh-braking event.
Fleet Management•by News/Media Release•October 21, 2026

Platform Science Adds Dispatch and Safety Tools

Four additions to PS Fleet help fleets monitor loads, manage driver coaching, share truck locations and adjust video system settings.

Read More →
Screen capture showing PrePass Intelligence data on tolls
Fleet Management•by News/Media Release•October 21, 2026

PrePass Intelligence Mines Fleet Bypass, Toll and Safety Data

PrePass Intelligence helps fleets measure bypass savings, flag potential toll overcharges, and spot suspicious transactions by combining data from separate systems.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Computer screen showing examples of what fleets could ask Motive AI Agents to do
Fleet Management•by Staff•October 20, 2026

Motive Adds AI Agents for Fleet Operations

New tools automate follow-up on fleet data, from maintenance work orders to driver alerts, with two-way voice conversations planned for later this year.

Read More →
Graphic art with a heavy-duty tractor trailer and a work truck with the words "trivia lunch"
Fleet Management•by Lauren Fletcher•October 19, 2026

Can You Beat Our Trucking Trivia Challenge?

Test your truck knowledge with 19 trivia questions from Heavy Duty Trucking Exchange. Can you keep up with the fleet pros?

Read More →
Four horizontal and two vertical video screens show different aspects of BeyondTruck's new compatibility engine
Fleet Management•by Deborah Lockridge•October 19, 2026

BeyondTrucks Adds Rules Checks to Dispatch

New Compatibility Engine checks driver qualifications, equipment requirements and fleet policies before loads are dispatched.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Gloved hand fueling a truck beside a graphic listing ATRI’s top three trucking concerns for 2026: fuel prices, lawsuit abuse reform and CSA.
Fleet Management•by Deborah Lockridge•October 19, 2026

Diesel Prices Hijack Trucking’s Worry List

ATRI’s annual survey finds cautious optimism about freight, but diesel costs, litigation, and insurance continue to squeeze fleets. Drivers have different priorities on several issues.

Read More →