In 2025, freight theft followed value, urgency, and predictability.
According to Highway’s 2025 Freight Fraud Index, theft activity concentrated around a small group of high-value commodities and consistently clustered in the same freight-dense states. The pattern is clear: when high-value freight moves repeatedly through predictable lanes, risk compounds.
This report breaks down the most stolen commodities of 2025 and the cargo theft hotspots where fraud activity surged.
The Most Stolen Commodities in 2025
Theft activity centered around a small set of commodity categories:
- Food and beverage
- Electronics
- Copper
- Protein powder
- Cosmetics
Together, these commodities accounted for a significant share of reported cargo theft incidents across the freight network.
Why These Commodities Are Targeted
Across food shipments, consumer electronics loads, metal transport, and health products, three consistent risk drivers emerge:
High resale value
Electronics, copper, cosmetics, and supplements move easily through secondary markets and can be liquidated quickly.
High shipment frequency
These commodities move daily across established lanes. Repetition creates predictability and predictability creates exposure.
Time-sensitive delivery windows
Perishables and consumer goods often require expedited handling. When operational speed increases, verification windows shrink.
A recent $400,000 live lobster hijacking en route to Midwest retailers illustrates how high-value, time-sensitive freight remains a consistent target.
Freight Fraud Hotspots: States with the Highest Theft Activity
Cargo theft in 2025 clustered heavily in five states:
- California
- Texas
- Illinois
- New York
- Indiana
Why These States See Higher Cargo Theft Rates
Each of these states operates as a freight concentration point, where shipment density and commodity value overlap:
- Major freight corridors and intermodal hubs
- High warehouse and distribution density
- Large consumer markets
- Significant port activity
- High shipment velocity
California and Texas serve as gateway states with massive import volume and outbound redistribution. Illinois anchors Midwest freight flows. New York connects international imports to dense population centers. Indiana operates as a key logistics pass-through state.
High volume alone does not create cargo theft risk.
Risk accelerates when volume, repetition, and high-value commodities overlap within predictable lanes.
What the 2025 Freight Fraud Data Reveals
The data shows that cargo theft in 2025 was less about isolated incidents and more about systemic pattern exploitation.
Fraud followed routine freight movement.
When the same commodities move through the same lanes with consistent timing, exposure increases. Organized theft networks are not chasing anomalies — they are exploiting operational predictability.
For shippers, brokers, and carriers, the implication is clear: fraud prevention must be lane-aware, commodity-aware, and velocity-aware.
Want the full data behind these trends?
Download the 2025 Freight Fraud Index to explore fraud trends, patterns, and emerging risks shaping 2026.
