Shocking headlines, “like $1,500,000 in Porsche race cars and parts being stolen from a trailer,” certainly make an impact—and not in a good way. Cargo theft and prevention company CargoNet said the average stolen shipment value in Q1 2024 was $281,757, and $150,711 in Q2.
The estimated value of freight stolen across both quarters is over 223 million dollars. Criminals are increasingly targeting high-value commodities, like small appliances, liquor, energy drinks, vitamins, supplements, skincare products, and copper.
In the Porsche example above, they quickly found the truck because of GPS tracking. However, the trailer did not have this feature and took longer to recover. Since it is the trailer that holds the cargo, it is important to track these assets individually. That is why all model-year 2026 Great Dane trailers come with asset tracking as a standard feature.
As theft tactics become more complex, our efforts to protect cargo must advance as well. Cargo theft can occur in various ways, from thieves pilfering unattended trailers to organized fraud, where whole truckloads disappear through deception.
According to FleetPulse, Labor Day weekend is the most active weekend for cargo theft all year round. To make matters worse, we’re approaching the holidays, when activity also starts to spike.
The Growing Threat of Cargo Theft
Cargo theft isn’t just limited to theft at depots, truck stops, and parking lots—it’s also increasingly sophisticated. Organized criminals use fake paperwork, digitally altered documents, and fraud schemes to steal entire shipments. According to a 2022 National Retail Federation (NRF) survey:
- 47% of retailers experience cargo theft when trucks travel between distribution centers and stores.
- 35% experience theft when trucks move from manufacturers to distribution centers.
So, how can fleets protect themselves from these threats?
Innovative Technologies to Combat Cargo Theft
Thwarting Thieves Through Technology
“Cargo theft is a constant problem in the industry. It’s a consistent request we get from fleets to see how much more we can focus on cargo, cargo protection, cargo condition monitoring, and also cargo theft,” said Ross Joseph, Vice President of Product and Strategy at FleetPulse. “So, we worked with our technology partners and developed a new technology called FleetPulseGO: Cargo View.”
FleetPulseGO: Cargo View is a unit that can be mounted in a dry van or a reefer. It takes pictures showing cargo from back to front of the trailer. Ross said fleets can customize the rate at which cargo images are taken and how the system wirelessly connects to door sensors, which take images when doors (roll-up or swing) are opened and closed to see what was added or removed.
“Customers receive the before-and-after picture, and in addition to the camera image, it calculates a volumetric percentage of space available inside the trailer.
When the system detects an empty trailer, it reports 0% loaded. For a half-full trailer, it reports 50%, and similarly, 75% for a three-quarters full load, and so on,” Ross added. Cargo View provides the user with an easy way to track trailer fullness or how unloaded the trailer is to give customers underutilization data.”
Not only does Cargo View help give quick cargo load readings, but Ross explained that volumetric estimates also help determine whether customers can carry more per load, increasing freight efficiency.
Key Features of Cargo View:
- Before-and-After Images: Capture cargo activity when doors open/close.
- Volumetric Monitoring: Calculates the percentage of space utilized inside trailers.
- Efficiency Insights: Helps fleets optimize trailer loads to increase freight efficiency.
Cargo View is more than just a theft prevention tool; it helps fleets track underutilization, increasing productivity while keeping assets secure.
FleetPulse: Enhancing Trailer Security
FleetPulse telematics data is a powerful tool for keeping trailers and cargo secure. For example, FleetPulsePRO can also use weight to detect whether a trailer is loaded or unloaded by monitoring the airbags on the bogie.
Fleet managers can also use FleetPulsePRO to set alerts based on the VIN to alert them when a specific trailer door is opened outside of a geofenced area. This is just one way to detect if an entire trailer goes missing.
Tracking Solutions for Peace of Mind
“Since 2019 and FleetPulse went to market, there have been dozens of cases where we worked with customers on their lost or stolen trailers. Staying true to our focused solutions, we introduced FleetPulseGO: Track to the market this year. We standardized it on new trailers for 2026 for its small, stealthy, and simple reporting design combating trailer theft with innovation,” Ross said.
FleetPulseGO: Track comes standard on new Great Dane trailers. Ross said it is a hockey-puck-sized tracker designed to be difficult for thieves to find and remove. It has a 7+ year battery life and offers customizable check-in periods to ensure fleets know exactly where their assets are. If a trailer is suspected of being lost or stolen, users can switch its daily reporting to recovery mode, where the device reports location and movement every five minutes until the customer is satisfied with apprehending their asset.
How to Protect Your Fleet from Cargo Theft
With cargo theft increasing, fleet managers must take steps to protect their valuable assets. Here are a few actionable tips:
- Install trailer tracking devices like FleetPulseGO: Track to monitor location.
- Use door sensors to alert you to unauthorized access outside of geofenced areas.
- Monitor telematics data for unusual activity, such as unexpected weight changes or movements.
- Regularly review security procedures at depots and truck stops to minimize opportunities for theft.
FleetPulse’s advanced telematics tools are crucial for ensuring your trailers and cargo stay secure, giving you peace of mind.
Contact a Great Dane representative to learn more about how FleetPulseGO: Track, asset tracking standard on MY26 Great Dane equipment, can help keep your cargo and trailers safe from theft.
