Labor Day Cargo Theft Surges as Thieves Target Weekend Shipments

Cargo thieves are working overtime on this long Labor Day weekend

Cargo theft remains a persistent threat around the Labor Day holiday, with activity concentrated before and after the weekend rather than during the holiday itself. A five-year review from Verisk’s CargoNet found that theft activity has settled at a higher level than it was at the beginning of the period, exposing freight moving through major transportation markets and commercial channels.

CargoNet reviewed incidents reported from the Thursday before Labor Day through the Wednesday afterward. The analysis identified 273 cargo theft incidents from 2021 through 2025. Annual incidents increased from 33 in 2021 to 56 in 2025, while 2024 recorded a five-year high of 70 incidents.

The timing of those incidents is notable for professional drivers. Friday was the busiest day, with 55 thefts, followed by Tuesday with 49, Thursday with 46 and Wednesday with 44. Together, those four days accounted for 194 incidents, or 71% of the total reviewed.

By comparison, the holiday weekend itself produced fewer reports: 24 incidents on Saturday, 28 on Sunday and 27 on Labor Day Monday. CargoNet said the pattern is consistent with the growing use of deceptive pickup and non-delivery schemes, which depend on active businesses, open phone lines and freight moving through normal shipping operations.

That does not eliminate the risk during the holiday. Freight left unattended during closures or schedule changes can remain physically exposed, while reduced staffing can make shipment verification more difficult. A driver, dispatcher or warehouse employee may also face greater time pressure when freight begins moving again after the holiday.

According to CargoNet, the Labor Day risk involves two overlapping concerns. The first is the physical exposure created when loaded trailers sit at rest during a closure or an unexpected delay. The second is verification exposure, in which a criminal impersonates a legitimate carrier, changes shipment instructions or introduces fraudulent contact information into an otherwise valid transaction.

Theft activity was heavily concentrated in three states. California, Texas and Illinois accounted for 130 of the 273 incidents, or 48% of the five-year total. California led with 70 incidents, followed by Texas with 38 and Illinois with 22.

Those states contain major freight corridors, ports, distribution centers and intermodal facilities. CargoNet said theft activity generally clusters around dense transportation networks and large consumer markets, where stolen goods can be moved or resold through multiple channels. Warehouses, distribution centers and parking lots remain among the most common locations for cargo theft.

Food and beverage freight led the commodity categories, with 49 incidents. Household goods followed with 27, electronics with 25, vehicles and accessories with 20, and metals with 11. CargoNet estimated the total commodity value involved in the Labor Day analysis at approximately $31.8 million.

For drivers, the data also reflects a shift beyond traditional cargo hijackings and facility break-ins. CargoNet continues to track deceptive pickups, fraudulent shipment instructions and other identity-based methods. Organized groups may compromise carrier accounts, business phone systems, email accounts or compliance-platform credentials, allowing them to operate through channels that appear legitimate.

That type of theft can occur at several points in the shipment. A criminal may obtain a load through a fraudulent pickup, interfere with a shipment before loading or alter delivery instructions after a legitimate carrier has taken possession. In some cases, the fraudulent party may have authentic account access, recognizable contact information and details about an active shipment.

The broader financial risk extends beyond the holiday period. CargoNet estimated that cargo theft losses exceeded $359 million during the first six months of 2026. The average stolen commodity value reached approximately $341,518, indicating that incident counts alone do not capture the full exposure facing carriers and shippers.

CargoNet said organized groups are increasingly targeting high-value metals, enterprise technology components and other freight capable of producing a large return from a single successful theft. Those shipments can be attractive because they have established resale markets and can move through numerous illicit distribution channels.

Overall cargo theft activity has not increased in every period. CargoNet recorded 767 supply chain crime incidents in the first quarter of 2026, a 5.3% year-over-year decline and a 12.2% decrease from the fourth quarter of 2025. In 2025, the company recorded 3,594 supply chain crime events across the United States and Canada, compared with 3,607 in 2024.

Even with those declines, the Labor Day findings show that risk remains unevenly distributed by location, commodity and day of the week. For drivers and motor carriers, the most exposed periods may occur when normal shipping activity is winding down before the holiday or resuming afterward, when freight, schedules and verification procedures are changing at the same time.