Running a heavy-duty trucking fleet, regardless of its size, has always come with risks. Today, scammers introduce an added challenge, requiring fleet owners to stay vigilant over forged documents, stolen DOT numbers, and intricate cargo theft. 

These scams don't just impact large corporations. They also demand attention from smaller fleets. 

I grew up watching what it takes to protect truckers. My father was a truck driver before he came back to run our family's insurance agency.He brought that road experience to the brokerage. He knew what kept drivers up at night and where scammers might look for an easy target. He taught me everything I know about this industry and how to keep our clients' operations running like clockwork.

Over the decades, our family business has helped fleets of every size protect what they've built. While the threats may change, the goal stays the same: help honest trucking companies keep rolling without losing sleep over scams they didn't see coming.

The Top Scams Trucking Companies Face

Scammers look for weak spots and move fast when they find one. Fleet owners and operators want to be on the lookout for the three biggest scams today:

1. DOT Numbers Get Hijacked

Reports to the FMCSA show that thousands of cases like this occur each year (FMCSA Fraud Report, 2023), where scammers hijack DOT numbers. When they steal it, they can pretend to be you. 

Scammers move fast and can ruin your company's reputation and financial stability before you even realize it. They book loads in your name, get upfront payments and vanish before a truck ever moves. Many companies don't even know it's happened until angry brokers or shippers call looking for their money or freight.

2. Fake Invoices and Identity Theft

Identity theft occurs when crooks impersonate your authority or use your insurance certificates to deceive someone into believing they're legitimate. When invoices are simple (as many of us prefer), they are easy to duplicate and forge. 

Some scammers create invoices for loads that were never moved. Others pose as freight brokers or carriers you've worked with before, hoping your billing team pays without asking questions.

Once they've fooled a shipper or broker, they run off with the money, and you're left to explain what went wrong to your clients.

3. Cargo Theft Grows Smarter

The NICB reports that cargo theft increased by 57% in 2023 compared to the previous year (NICB Cargo Theft Report, 2023). Stolen loads don't just cost you money — they damage trust with your shippers and customers, too. 

But you have to know what to look out for, because cargo theft isn't always a guy with a crowbar at a truck stop. 

Many cargo thieves operate behind the scenes. They run "fictitious pickups," using stolen or made-up carrier information to book a load. They show up, haul it away and disappear before anyone knows the truth.

How the Right Insurance Broker Can Help Trucking Fleets Spot Red Flags

While a specific insurance policy can help when scams and fraud happen, a good broker works with businesses to stop the damage before it happens.

That's the part many fleets overlook: creating a trusted insurance broker relationship. 

Business owners often think that a broker sells an insurance policy, files the paperwork and then moves on. But a good, industry-focused insurance broker can help with so much more. They're an extra set of eyes on your business, watching for potential trouble where you might not.

For example, brokers can verify certificates to ensure they're genuine. If we encounter a certificate that appears to be incorrect (for example, the contact information doesn't match or the coverage dates are not aligned), we investigate further. I've seen forged certificates that would fool a busy dispatch desk, but a sharp broker spots those small details that might sneak by when your team is juggling loads and deadlines.

A good, trucking-focused broker also knows the signs of spotty insurance solutions. They can help check paperwork and verify insurance before you hand off freight to someone new, helping businesses establish trusted partnerships within their industry. 

Sometimes, an insurance broker can just sniff out when things are off, like a rate may be suspiciously good or a pickup location may not be suitable for the route. These small clues can stop fraud before money or cargo goes missing.

Brokers in the trucking industry should also help train your team. We've shown dispatchers what to check when a new carrier calls. We help billing staff flag fake invoices. We connect the dots when we hear about a new scam and pass that warning to our other clients. 

Excellent brokers understand that identifying and minimizing these risks can affect your premium costs and your business success.

When you have a broker who knows the trucking industry inside and out, they can act as an extra shield between your hard work and the scammer.

Four Trucking Insurance Solutions to Know

Even with sharp eyes, scams still victimize truckers and their businesses. That's when the policy you chose will prove its worth. No, insurance won't stop fraud, but it can soften the blow if things take a turn.  

1. Cargo Insurance

As you most likely know, cargo insurance pays when your cargo disappears, gets damaged or never makes it to the dock. It’s an essential part to any trucking operation’s insurance package. In many cases, however, it doesn't fully cover a fleet. Some cargo policies have loopholes for certain types of theft, which is why you should consider fraud endorsements and extra riders to close these gaps. 

2. Crime Coverage

Crime coverage often fills the gap where cargo coverage ends. It can cover legal fees and pay back losses that regular cargo or auto policies won't touch. Crime coverage is especially useful when a scammer uses fake invoices, steals from your business accounts or commits fraud inside your operation. 

3. Cyber Liability

A 2021 National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) study showed a 186% increase in cyberattacks against trucking companies between 2020 and 2021.

Your defense against scams needs to be digital as well. Cyber liability coverage helps if someone steals your company's data or poses as your company online. It can help cover the costs of restoring systems, paying for legal expenses and notifying customers if their data was part of the breach. 

4. Loss of Income Insurance

Fraud and scams can disrupt your whole operation. If your trucks sit idle because a scam derails a contract or delays a route, that loss can impact your top line and possibly the headcount of your operation. 

Loss of income coverage can help cover the revenue you miss while dealing with claims, stolen loads or a damaged reputation. It can keep cash flowing when operations hit a wall through no fault of your own.

The best protection is having all these coverages work together. Gaps can be costly, but a knowledgeable broker will be able to walk you through these concerns before you settle for coverage that isn't specific to your operational needs.

Be One Step Ahead

With new tricks and easy targets available every day, scammers won't stop. The best thing you can do is keep your team sharp and motivated. Double-check paperwork. Slow down just enough to ask, "Does this add up?" Keep trusted contacts close and question new ones until you know they're genuine.

Above all, work with people who understand this business as well as you do. I've watched this industry change for decades from carbon copies of certificates to today's digital signatures. 

One thing never changes: When you have good people in your corner, you stand a better chance of keeping your trucks moving and your business safe from scammers.

About the Author: Jason Good is a Managing Principal at Trucordia with over 24 years of insurance experience. He helps lead Good’s Insurance Agency, a Trucordia business, providing trucking clients nationwide with tailored coverage solutions. 

This article was authored and edited according to Heavy Duty Trucking’s editorial standards and style to provide useful information to our readers. Opinions expressed may not reflect those of HDT.