Cargo Theft Changed: Fewer Loads, Higher-Dollar Targets

Cargo theft is down 26% in 2025—but the value of stolen freight has doubled. Danielle Spinelli of GenLogs breaks down why fraud rings are shifting to higher-value loads, how sold MCs and pattern changes get flagged, and what brokers and carriers should watch now. This FreightWaves Today segment covers the latest CargoNet data, real-world fraud signals, and how camera, sensor, and route-history data can spot suspicious carrier behavior before a load disappears.

Cargo theft incidents dropped 26% in the second quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year, but the value of stolen loads has doubled, according to CargoNet figures cited by Danielle Spinelli, Director of Partnerships at Genlog. The divergence signals a strategic shift by criminal networks away from opportunistic grabs toward deliberate targeting of high-value freight — a trend that puts premium cargo shippers and the carriers hauling their freight at elevated risk.

“There’s less loads that they’re stealing, but they’re targeting high-value freight,” said Spinelli, who is also known in the industry as the Fraud Girl. “Those who are running high value definitely need to kind of cross their T’s, dot their I’s, because they’re really hunting them right now.”

A key driver of the current threat environment is the use of legitimate carrier authorities rather than fabricated ones. Criminals are increasingly exploiting sold or dormant Motor Carrier numbers — sometimes advertising them openly on social media platforms such as Facebook — to move stolen freight without triggering standard vetting flags. Genlog monitors those online postings and correlates them with physical road activity to surface red flags before a load is tendered.

“Because we’re able to see them on a physical level, it’s not like they can manipulate anything digitally to make them look like they’re still operating if they did sell it,” Spinelli said. “We’re able to really see what is physically changing more than a digital platform can.”

Genlog’s detection methodology relies on a camera, sensor, and satellite network that the company says covers 99% of active U.S. motor carriers, with data collected over more than three years. The platform flags three primary anomalies: a carrier that has not been observed on the road in the past 7 to 60 days — often indicating a sold MC — a carrier operating an unfamiliar lane or region, and a carrier running with equipment it has not previously been seen hauling. Spinelli noted that the roughly 1% to 2% of carriers Genlog has never observed are, in her view, likely not real operating carriers.

The network’s utility has extended beyond freight fraud. Spinelli said Genlog assisted law enforcement in tracking a series of trucks running a recurring route from the Mexico border to the Northeast, a pattern that correlated with narcotics flooding local markets. When authorities made a stop based on that intelligence, they seized narcotics, firearms, and cash. “It’s really cool being able to help law enforcement not only with cargo theft, but all the other types of things that are unfortunately being done on a big scale with using tractor-trailers,” Spinelli said.

On the regulatory front, Spinelli was skeptical that government action alone will move the needle, pointing to a shortage of DOT inspectors and limited enforcement capacity. She argued that the private sector — particularly brokers controlling carrier onboarding decisions — is better positioned to drive change by collectively deprioritizing carriers that show red flags such as MC-for-sale postings or deteriorating safety ratings.

Spinelli closed with a measured take on liability exposure concerns spreading through the industry, advising carriers and brokers not to overhaul their processes out of fear but instead to apply the same disciplined vetting philosophy that has already contributed to the declining theft count. She is scheduled to speak at the NMFTA cybersecurity conference in Long Beach and is producing a podcast series featuring multiple vetting platforms to help industry participants understand what each tool offers.

• CargoNet Q2 2025 data shows cargo theft incidents fell 26% year-over-year, but the value of stolen loads doubled, reflecting a shift toward high-value targets.
• Genlog monitors 99% of active U.S. motor carriers using cameras, sensors, and satellite data accumulated over three-plus years to detect behavioral anomalies tied to sold or compromised MC numbers.
• Spinelli argues that public-private collaboration — not government enforcement alone — is essential to combating fraud, given the shortage of DOT inspectors and limited federal enforcement capacity.

This Summary is generated thanks to a transcription of the interview, for the full interview please enjoy the video above.