Cargo theft is a year-round threat that has reached unprecedented levels, posing an escalating danger to motor carriers across North America. As CargoNet reported, cargo theft incidents reached a record high of 3,625 cases in 2024, with the average stolen shipment value reaching $281,757 in the first quarter of the year.

These numbers paint a stark picture of this growing crisis. In the third quarter of 2024 alone, CargoNet recorded 776 cargo theft events across the United States and Canada, representing a 14% increase compared to the same period in 2023, with the total value of stolen goods exceeding $39 million. This dramatic surge has industry experts naming it an all-time high for cargo theft activity.

Holiday Season: Prime Time for Cargo Thieves

Thieves don’t take the holidays off — in fact, cargo theft incidents tend to surge during holiday periods. Holiday season cargo theft has shown a concerning upward trend: the 2019-2021 holiday seasons averaged 43 events per year, before jumping to 59 in 2022 and reaching 73 in 2023. Current trends suggest that this upward trajectory will continue, even through the 2025 holiday period.

This comes as no surprise — the holiday season creates uniquely vulnerable conditions for cargo theft. Distribution centers become busier, staffing may be reduced, and the increased volume of high-value goods moving through the supply chain presents attractive targets for organized theft rings. CargoNet recorded over 450 fictitious pickup attempts in 2024 alone, signaling a likely surpassing of last year’s record levels and indicating a significant shift toward more sophisticated fraud schemes.

Essential Security Measures: Beyond Basic Precautions

While commonsense precautions remain important — including installing high-security trailer locks, never leaving loaded trailers unattended, and adding surveillance cameras to yards — technology solutions can provide a much higher level of security and operational insight.

Trailer Tracking: Your 24/7 Security Partner

GPS tracking devices give you round-the-clock visibility of your trailer fleet. This level of visibility is crucial should a trailer go missing or stray from its planned route.

One key consideration when choosing a trailer tracker is where it’s installed on the trailer. If a tracker can be spotted by cargo thieves, then it can be easily removed. An option like StealthNet avoids detection because it’s installed on the trailer chassis. The hidden installation takes just minutes to complete, minimizing trailer downtime.

Beyond the security benefits, trailer tracking increases efficiency by eliminating pencil-and-paper yard checks, boosting trailer uptime, and reducing driver frustration from searching for trailers that aren’t where they should be.

Related: 4 Big Benefits of Smart Trailer Tracking

Geofences: Virtual Boundaries for Real Protection

Geofencing enables you to draw virtual boundaries on a map and set up alerts for when a trailer or tractor crosses those boundaries. For instance, you’ll be alerted if a trailer exits a geofence around your yard after business hours, or leaves the area in which it is supposed to be operating.

Geofencing also has other applications that extend beyond security to help your operations, such as improved customer service, increased productivity through better vehicle activity tracking, and the ability to provide historical data to help address inquiries and complaints.

Related: Learn more about EROAD Geofence Site Activity reporting

Advanced Sensor Technology: Comprehensive Asset Protection

Door sensors can alert you whenever a trailer door is opened or closed. Combined with location data, you’ll know immediately if someone is accessing a trailer when they shouldn’t be — a critical capability for thwarting cargo theft attempts.

Beyond door sensors, other compatible sensors can increase efficiency and safety during the busy holiday season and throughout the year. Tire sensors, for example, provide near real-time data on trailer tire pressure and temperature, helping you avoid blowouts, costly roadside repairs, and underinflation violations. Additional sensors also provide data on brake health, cargo status, lights, reefer temperature, and more.

Video Telematics: Proof You Can Trust

Video telematics solutions add another layer of security and operational intelligence to your fleet management strategy. With the use of advanced AI-powered dashcams, you can:

• Gain real-time visibility into what’s happening around your vehicles and trailers
• Enable comprehensive incident documentation by capturing visual evidence of theft attempts, vandalism, or suspicious activity
• Support driver coaching initiatives with objective data, allowing for improvement of risky driver behavior that could make vehicles targets for opportunistic thieves
• Get visual confirmation that vehicles are following planned routes and stopping at authorized locations
• Get real-time alerts and immediate notifications of unusual events or activities that could indicate security threats, enabling faster response times when incidents occur

EROAD’s Clarity Edge AI Dashcam goes beyond basic recording by intelligently analyzing driving patterns and environmental conditions, helping fleet managers identify potential security risks before they become costly incidents. This proactive approach to fleet security complements traditional tracking and sensor technologies for comprehensive asset protection.

Taking Action: Protect Your Fleet This Holiday Season

With cargo theft at record levels and holiday periods presenting increased risks, now is the time to evaluate and strengthen your fleet security measures. The combination of hidden GPS tracking, intelligent geofencing, comprehensive sensor networks, and advanced video telematics creates multiple layers of protection for your valuable assets.

EROAD can help you ensure the security and safety of your operations while providing the data and support you need to transform your business. Click here to learn more.