In Episode 3 of the Fraud Watch podcast, I sat down with Ryan Kiefer, Lead Specialty Investigator with the Special Investigations Group at Travelers, to walk through what actually happens when freight goes missing. His team gets involved once a problem surfaces, which means the focus is no longer prevention. It is about figuring out what happened, where control changed, and whether there is still a path to recovery.
One of the clearest takeaways from the conversation is how much the problem has shifted. Traditional theft still exists, especially when loads are left unattended, but that is no longer the only risk. More of what the industry is dealing with today is happening inside normal operations. Freight is not always being taken by force. In many cases, it is being redirected through manipulated information and broken communication without anyone realizing it in the moment.
where control is lost
That shift changes how risk needs to be understood. These situations do not always start with something obvious. The process can look normal, and the information can appear to check out. The issue is not always a lack of data. It is the assumption that the data is correct. By the time something feels off, the load may already be moving in the wrong direction or sitting somewhere it should not be. One of the most common breakdowns happens at pickup, when the carrier that shows up is not the one originally booked, even though everything appears to line up on the surface.
Timing still plays a major role, but not in the way many expect. In straight theft scenarios, speed matters because the freight is physically moving and being offloaded. In strategic theft, the challenge is recognizing the problem early enough to act. Delays often come from missed signals, gaps in communication, or assumptions that everything is progressing as expected. The bigger issue is not always response time. It is recognizing that something is wrong in the first place.
what determines the outcome
Another issue that continues to hold the industry back is underreporting. There is no consistent way to classify cargo theft across jurisdictions, and many incidents are never reported at all. Some are coded incorrectly, while others are handled internally and never make it into any dataset. The result is a gap between what is happening in real time and what the industry believes is happening based on reported numbers.
When it comes to recovery, the answer is straightforward. The cases that have a chance are the ones where information is available and communication happens quickly. The more details that can be gathered early, and the more willing parties are to work together, the better the outcome. In many cases, the difference comes down to basic details. Who picked up the load, what equipment they were in, when they arrived, and how communication took place all become critical once an investigation starts. When information is missing or delayed, the process slows down and the likelihood of recovery drops.
The takeaway from this conversation is simple. This is not just a theft problem. It is a control problem. The industry has more tools than ever, but tools alone do not solve it. Awareness, process, and communication are what determine whether a shipment stays on track or disappears without warning.
Click here for more articles on cargo theft and freight fraud by Phillip Brink.
