Cargo Theft Response Checklist: The First 60 Minutes

What the $635,000 recovery tells freight owners

FreightWaves reported on September 30 that a Cook County Sheriff’s Police-led operation recovered about $635,000 in freight and made arrests. The largest reported recovery was 30 transformers, worth about $600,000, found in Lawrence, Massachusetts.

The report says someone impersonated a legitimate company and used a fraudulent bill of lading. The transformers then passed through several cross-docks. The report does not link an arrest or charge specifically to that shipment, or say that an email or carrier account was compromised.

For a freight owner, the takeaway is simple: paperwork alone should not authorize an unexpected change in custody or destination.

• FreightWaves: National cargo theft blitz leads to arrests, $635K in recovered freight

Start with the last confirmed handoff

A missing load does not, by itself, mean an account was hacked. Put one person in charge and contact the carrier, shipper, and last known facility using numbers already on file—not details in a disputed message. Confirm who released the freight, who received it, and whether a change was approved.

Keep a timestamped record. Save the original tender, bills of lading, messages, and document versions. Ask facilities and providers to preserve relevant gate, camera, tracking, and system records before they are routinely deleted. Don’t wipe devices or delete messages. Store sensitive evidence where only the response team can access it.

• Shipment: load number, contents, quantity, value, and serial or lot numbers.
• Handoffs: names, driver and equipment details, seal numbers, locations, times, signatures, and photos.
• Records: tracking history, gate logs, camera footage, original messages, call records, and TMS or portal changes.

• FBI guidance on cargo theft

Report suspected theft and coordinate

If you have a credible reason to believe the load was stolen, contact local or state law enforcement now; don’t wait until you’ve collected every record. Notify your insurer and the involved shipper, broker, carrier, and facilities under your incident procedures. If someone may be in immediate danger, call 911.

Use CargoNet’s appropriate reporting route. You can also send cargo-crime information to NMFTA’s Threat Report Portal for industry awareness; NMFTA is not law enforcement and does not forward reports to police. Use IC3 if you also suspect an internet-enabled crime. Keep one contact responsible for updates, and flag pending payments for authorized review.

• CargoNet non-member theft reporting
• NMFTA Threat Report Portal
• FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center

Prevent the next unauthorized handoff

Cross-docking is routine. The concern is a transfer your team can’t verify or reconcile with the agreed route. A tracking gap alone doesn’t prove theft; unexplained changes to custody or destination are reason to investigate.

• Name who can approve a driver, equipment, destination, or transfer change. Verify requests using a number already on file.
• Check the driver and equipment at pickup; record discrepancies before releasing the load.
• Keep custody records and shipment identifiers so the freight can be matched later.
• Use individual logins and MFA where available. Remove access when staff leave, and assign someone to follow up on unexplained tracking or equipment changes.
• Practice a scenario with altered paperwork so staff know when to pause and whom to call.

• Cargo theft prevention for small trucking companies
• Freight broker email security: verify load and payment changes
• Freight payment verification checklist

How Securing Your Business can help

Our Security Awareness Training gives employees short weekly practice with situations like changed factoring details and last-minute delivery requests.

The $1,995 Business Security Baseline reviews agreed internal safeguards and available evidence for businesses with up to 25 employees; larger businesses receive a confirmed quote. It does not provide cargo recovery, incident forensics, or live shipment monitoring.

• Security Awareness Training
• Business Security Baseline

Related resources

• 10 Safety Precautions to Avoid Trucking Scams
• Cybersecurity for Freight Brokers: Protect Loads and Payments
• Your Dispatch Email Was Hacked: What a Small Trucking Company Should Do First