According to a recent report, traditional cargo theft may be on the decline, but thieves are finding new ways to steal cargo.
On Monday, May 18, Overhaul released its 2026 Q1 Cargo Theft Report. According to the Austin, Texas-based cargo security firm, a total of 574 theft incidents were reported in the first three months of the year, representing a 6% decrease when compared to the first quarter of 2025.
“Since 2021, cargo theft had increased every year, with each first quarter higher than the same period the year before,” the company said in its report. “The results in Q1-2026 break this pattern, showing a change after several years of steady growth.”
Overhaul said that the early decrease in 2026 may be due in part to “the large number of successful arrests and enforcement by Law Enforcement Agencies across the country.”
Electronics (17%), food and drinks (15%) and clothing and shoes (11%) made up the top three most targeted commodities. Auto and parts were the only goods to see an increase from their 4th-quarter numbers, accounting for 11% of all theft in Q1.
As for where theft was most likely to occur, California led all U.S. states, with 36% of reported incidents occurring in the Golden State. Texas (17%), Illinois (13%), Tennessee (12%), and Georgia (4%) made up the top five most-targeted states.
The company noted that while overall theft is down, deceptive pickup schemes and strategic cargo theft increased by 31% in the first quarter of 2026.
“The year-over-year decline is a positive signal, but the risk still remains high, and what that risk looks like is changing,” Barry Conlon, CEO and Founder of Overhaul, said in a statement. “The growth in deceptive pickup schemes tells us that organized networks are investing in fraud infrastructure, and when criminals are forging identities and impersonating carriers, a padlock on a trailer isn’t going to stop them. That’s a threat you have to monitor, verify, and catch in real time.”
Part of Overhaul’s report was breaking the country into four quadrants to show where theft was most prevalent. While the report typically yields predictable results – with much of the theft activity concentrated around California – this quarter’s report showed that cargo theft is expanding beyond the usual suspects and becoming more evenly distributed across the U.S.
“This pattern suggests that organized theft groups are expanding operations beyond traditional hotspots, targeting high-volume freight hubs in multiple regions,” the company said in its report. “As a result, risk exposure is becoming more widespread, requiring broader geographic coverage in both monitoring and prevention strategies.”
The company said it considers cargo theft threats in the U.S. to be high and expects that to remain “due to the continued increase in the level of organization and sophistication of criminal groups focusing on high-value cargo.”
Overhaul said that shippers and carriers should take steps to mitigate risk, such as verifying the authenticity of all shipment activity and utilizing tracking technology to monitor loads. LL
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