NMFTA Warns of Surge and Sophistication of Cyber-Enabled Cargo Theft

The National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) has issued another warning to the logistics and transportation industry as traditional cargo theft is being rapidly replaced by sophisticated, cyber-enabled heists. 

CargoNet reported in October that it recorded over 700 cargo thefts in the US and Canada in the third quarter of 2025, with the value of the stolen goods totaling more than $111 million. According to the American Trucking Associations, thieves targeting freight shipments cost the US economy up to $35 billion per year.

While in the past thieves would in most cases rob truck drivers at gunpoint or break into trailers, this type of crime has become increasingly sophisticated, mainly driven by criminals’ reliance on hacker tactics.

According to the NMFTA’s 2026 Transportation Industry Cybersecurity Trends Report, crime syndicates have leveraged both traditional deception and cyber techniques in campaigns aimed at brokers, carriers, and shippers.

“These attacks served as ...