Verisk’s CargoNet is warning transportation and logistics companies to prepare for increased cargo theft activity in the United States during the Memorial Day holiday period — from the Thursday before the holiday through the following Wednesday — which falls between May 21-May 27 this year.
CargoNet recorded 221 cargo theft events during Memorial Day periods between 2021 and 2025, with activity reaching a five-year high last year at 66 reported incidents, up from 49 in both 2023 and 2024. The average loss over the five years was estimated at more than $185,000, and the cumulative total loss is estimated to exceed $27 million.
This year, the risks are higher as CargoNet has observed a shift in criminals’ behavior. While total incident volume reported has declined in the first half of 2026 compared with recent years, organized theft groups are becoming more selective, increasingly targeting higher-value loads.
The organization has already documented 28 shipments valued at more than $1 million stolen in the first several months of 2026.
“Memorial Day creates the kind of operating environment cargo thieves look for: loaded freight at rest, closed facilities, delayed communication, and fewer people available to verify changes,” said Keith Lewis, vice president of operations at Verisk CargoNet. “The concern this year is not only that theft activity may increase over the holiday period, but that organized groups are becoming more selective in the freight they pursue.”
In the past five years, California recorded the highest number of Memorial Day theft incidents, with 70 reported incidents, followed by Texas (31), Illinois (19), Georgia (16), and Florida (12). The most commonly targeted commodities included food and beverages, electronics, household goods, vehicles and accessories, and apparel.
In 2026, CargoNet analysts have observed continued targeting of commodities with strong illicit-market demand. Those include copper products, beverages, meat, apparel, automotive products, cosmetics, seafood, and high-value technology products such as cryptocurrency mining equipment, networking equipment, and enterprise server components.
The organization also observed that theft groups increasingly rely on fraud-based schemes in addition to traditional trailer thefts, including shipment redirection tactics after freight has already been picked up by legitimate carriers.
“Cargo theft prevention over Memorial Day should not stop once a load is tendered to a legitimate carrier,” Lewis said. “Companies should verify delivery changes, confirm contact information through known channels, and maintain visibility until freight is delivered and reconciled.”
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