Cargo theft and freight fraud in NC: how to protect your loads

The short version

Thieves are stealing fewer loads but bigger ones. CargoNet counted 677 incidents in the second quarter of 2026, down from a year earlier, yet losses more than doubled to $304.6 million. [3]

The biggest threat for small carriers is now fraud. Criminals impersonate real carriers and brokers, hijack their accounts and even buy their authority. [2][20]

The holidays are a known risk window. CargoNet counted 79 thefts in the 2024 Thanksgiving period, up from 29 in 2021, and says theft peaks in December. [5]

North Carolina made cargo theft a more serious crime in December 2023. Penalties now rise with the value taken, up to a Class C felony over $100,000. [6][7]

CargoNet's 2025 and 2026 reports don't name NC as a top state, and no open source gives an NC count. But 2026 cases in Kenly, Hope Mills and Hoke County show it happens here. [1][10][11]

What the 2025 and 2026 numbers show

CargoNet, part of Verisk, recorded 3,594 supply chain crime events in the U.S. and Canada in 2025, about the same as 2024. Estimated losses rose about 60%, to nearly $725 million. [1]

Confirmed cargo thefts rose 18% in 2025, to 2,646. The average theft was worth about $274,000. Food and drinks were taken most, and metal theft jumped 77%, led by copper. [1]

In early 2026, CargoNet saw fewer thefts by domestic crime groups, especially in Texas and the Southeast. First-quarter losses were an estimated $131.6 million. [2]

The second quarter brought fewer incidents but much bigger losses. Fictitious pickups, where a fake carrier picks up a real load, barely dropped, from 165 to 158. [3]

CargoNet's Keith Lewis put it plainly: "Lower incident volume should not be mistaken for lower risk." [3]

Truck stops and warehouses are among the most common places thefts happen, CargoNet data shows. [4]

Why Thanksgiving and December matter

CargoNet's November 2025 alert said thieves exploit holidays because freight volume rises while security staffing may drop. [5]

In the 2024 Thanksgiving period, food and drinks were the top target, then household goods, electronics and vehicle parts. The thefts were worth about $9.5 million in total. [5]

Its Thanksgiving top five were California, Illinois, Texas, Florida and Georgia. NC wasn't on the list, but Georgia shows the Southeast isn't immune. [5]

Travelers, a cargo insurer, says thefts spike around holidays and weekends, especially Saturdays. Its tip sheet warns against staging loaded trailers over a weekend. [21]

Our advice, not a rule: before Thanksgiving week, plan where every loaded trailer will sit and for how long, and pick up as close to delivery as the schedule allows. [5][21]

North Carolina cases in 2026

In August 2026, Kenly police recovered a stolen 53-foot J.B. Hunt trailer holding about $258,000 in copper wire, FreightWaves reported. Selma and Four Oaks police helped. [10]

A Florida man was arrested at a local truck stop and charged with possessing stolen goods and a stolen vehicle. The investigation was still open when the story ran. [10]

Trucks are targets too. In June 2026, an SBI-led raid in Hope Mills and Hoke County recovered six tractors, three trailers and two other vehicles worth $630,000. [11]

Investigators said the suspects altered VINs and plates, then rented the trucks to people and businesses who didn't know they were stolen. [11]

By late July, the Florence County, S.C., sheriff said the case had recovered 13 tractors and more, worth over $1 million. Two men faced South Carolina larceny charges. [12]

Our advice, not a rule: if you rent or buy a used tractor or trailer, check that the VIN on the frame matches the title and registration. [11]

NC law on cargo theft

G.S. 14-56 makes it a crime to break into a truck, trailer or rail car holding freight to steal from it. Being found inside one unlawfully is evidence of entry. [7]

Since Dec. 1, 2023, the penalty depends on value, added up over 90 days. Over $1,500 is a Class H felony, over $20,000 Class G, over $50,000 Class F, and over $100,000 Class C. [7][6]

Anything below those amounts is a Class I felony. Before the 2023 law, every case was Class I no matter the value, Land Line reported. [7][22]

Thefts in more than one county can be added together, and the trucks used in the crime can be seized. [6][7]

Ordinary larceny over $1,000 is a Class H felony under G.S. 14-72. Knowingly holding stolen goods is also a Class H felony under G.S. 14-71.1. [8][9]

Federal law also applies. Stealing goods from an interstate shipment, or buying them knowing they're stolen, can bring up to 10 years in prison. [13]

Fraud aimed at small carriers

The FBI warned in April 2026 that cyber-enabled cargo theft is surging. Thieves send phishing emails dressed up as carrier agreements or service complaints. [20]

Once inside, they pose as the real carrier, book real loads, double-broker them with altered bills of lading and change the carrier's FMCSA contact and insurance details. [20]

The real carrier may only find out when brokers call asking about missing loads, the FBI said. [20]

Red flags include calls about loads you never booked, emails that mimic your company's domain, shortened links, new forwarding rules in your inbox and short-lived phone numbers. [20]

Don't sell your authority. CargoNet says criminal groups buy carrier businesses online, and sellers may face civil or criminal liability. [2]

Brokering without registration is against federal law. A broker also can't operate under any name but its registered one or claim to be a carrier. [15][16]

FMCSA's new identity checks

FMCSA said in April 2026 that it has seen a big rise in fraud, including identity theft, hijacked carrier accounts and sales of carrier numbers and PINs. [19]

Its new registration system, Motus, requires identity proofing for new applicants. About 800,000 existing registrants are verified the first time they use it. [19]

You'll need a smartphone or tablet and a valid government ID. FMCSA also added business verification. [19]

MC numbers aren't going away yet. FMCSA said its Phase II release doesn't eliminate them, and the USDOT number stays the main identifier. [19]

Our advice, not a rule: log in and check your FMCSA record regularly. A changed phone, email or insurance filing you didn't make is a warning sign. [19][20]

How to protect a load

CargoNet recommends verifying every carrier and broker, parking in well-lit, monitored places, keeping in touch with drivers and taking extra care with high-value loads. [5]

The FBI says to confirm pickups through a second channel, such as a phone number you already know. A familiar name or email alone doesn't prove who you're dealing with. [20]

It also says to keep records of everyone involved: photos of drivers, licenses, trucks and plates, plus DOT and MC numbers. [20]

Travelers suggests kingpin, landing gear and door locks on dropped trailers, and air cuff locks when the tractor is hooked up. Its rule of thumb: cargo at rest is cargo at risk. [21]

It also says to tell dispatch where you're stopping and for how long, keep your phone on you and watch for anyone following you. [21]

If your load is stolen

Call 911 or local police right away and get a report number. The FBI also asks victims of cyber-enabled theft to file at ic3.gov or with a local FBI office. [20]

Notify your broker, shipper and insurer quickly, and keep every email, text and document. [20][21]

Under the federal Carmack rule, carriers are liable for actual loss to goods they haul. A carrier can't give a shipper less than 9 months to file a claim or 2 years to sue. [14]

Help may be coming from Congress. The House passed the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, which now covers cargo, 348-60 in May 2026 on a motion by NC Rep. Brad Knott. [17][18]

As of Oct. 15, 2026, the bill sat in the Senate Judiciary Committee and wasn't law. [17]