High vehicle prices are fueling a surge in shipment hijackings, with criminals increasingly relying on technology to steal vehicles in transit.
The details: Cargo theft—which costs the trucking industry an estimated $18 million a day, according to the American Trucking Associations—is on the rise, with high-value cars and trucks becoming prime targets, Forbes reported.
The number of vehicles stolen per incident has increased from one at the start of 2026 to three over the past three months.
The median value of vehicles stolen in transit is about $80,000.
Three out of every four stolen vehicles are model year 2024 or newer, indicating that "criminals are intentionally pursuing newer, higher-value vehicles moving through the transportation network."
The rise in thefts has prompted the American Trucking Associations and a coalition of freight, retail and manufacturing stakeholders to urge the U.S. Department of Justice to implement congressionally mandated measures to combat cargo theft, according to an April ATA report.
What they’re saying: “Cargo theft and [organized retail crime] have escalated dramatically in recent years, affecting freight rail, trucking, retailers, and the broader U.S. economy. These crimes are not isolated or opportunistic, but are increasingly conducted by organized, sophisticated criminal networks operating across state and national borders,” the stakeholders wrote.
Why it matters: As cargo theft becomes more sophisticated, dealers could face increased delivery delays, inventory disruptions, and higher transportation costs, making supply chain security an increasingly important concern.
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Explaining the theft: Criminals are increasingly using digital tactics to steal vehicles in transit, explained Matt Bradley, CEO of auto transport platform Super Dispatch, in an interview with Forbes.
Essentially, thieves obtain key information, including shipping company login credentials, through phishing emails disguised as legitimate communications.
A tow truck driver (unaware of the scam) then arrives with seemingly legitimate paperwork and removes the vehicle to an undisclosed location, where it is stolen.
What they’re saying: “The big red flags are always the addresses, phone numbers, stuff like that,” Luke Kreider, president of Ship Me My Car, said during the webinar, per Forbes. “But you can look at it and see why — what did they change it to? When it changed names completely, and everything changed, and you look up the phone numbers and all of a sudden now it's a Google number—those are the red flags.”
Bottom line: The rise in cargo theft underscores the growing need for stronger transportation security and fraud prevention, making it increasingly important for dealers and their logistics partners to closely verify shipments and watch for signs of increasingly sophisticated scams.
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