The total volume of cargo theft in the United States increased by nearly 50% in 2024, according to a recent report from one industry insider.
On Friday, Feb. 21, Overhaul – an Austin, Texas-based supply chain risk management company – released its annual cargo theft report for the U.S. and Canada. According to data from the report, there were a total of 2,217 recorded cargo thefts throughout the U.S. in 2024, marking a 49% increase from the previous year.
The majority of cargo thefts in 2024 – roughly 60% – were reported in the second half of the year, highlighting what the company said is a “persistent vulnerability in cargo security” during the third and fourth quarters of the year.
“In 2024, cargo theft experienced a severe increase, with each quarter surpassing the same period in the previous year by a striking 30% in theft incidents,” Overhaul said in its report.
On top of the total number of reported thefts increasing, the average value per theft also rose last year – up 17% from 2023.
In terms of where cargo theft was most prevalent in the U.S., it was the usual suspects – California (32%) and Texas (19%) – accounting for 51% of the total number of reported incidents in 2024. Tennessee (14%), Pennsylvania (8%), Georgia (6%) and Illinois (6%) also were among the states most targeted by thieves.
In 2023, California accounted for roughly 41% of all recorded cargo theft in the United States. While Overhaul’s report showed a 9% decline for the state in 2024, the total number of reported thefts in 2024 increased by 15% over the previous year.
“This indicates that, unlike in previous years, cargo theft is spreading to other states but remains a latent risk for logistics activities in metropolitan areas that are commonly affected by these thefts,” the company said.
As far as what thieves were stealing, electronics made up roughly 24% of all U.S. cargo theft in 2024. Miscellaneous shipments (15%) and home and garden (10%) rounded out the top three most-targeted commodities for cargo theft.
“Overhaul considers the threat of cargo theft in the United States and Canada to be high and on the rise,” the company said in its report. “This is due, in part, to the continued increase in the level of organization and sophistication of criminal groups focusing on high-value cargo, as evidenced by the ongoing upward trend observed in atypical theft types such as deceptive pickups.”
After analyzing time series data from 2024 trends, Overhaul said it anticipates national cargo theft volumes will increase 22% in 2025. LL
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