Holiday weekends are well known for the high risk to organizations and supply chains across the United States. Organized cargo theft rings are extremely active around these periods, as more shipments are left unattended for extended stretches of time due to the long holiday weekend.
That is according to an Overhaul Intelligence report.
Between 2023 and 2025, Overhaul recorded an average of 8.3 thefts per day during the 4th of July weekend, compared to a daily average of 7.2 thefts across the rest of the year, a rate 16% higher than normal. Year over year, theft activity during this specific weekend has climbed steadily: up 14% in 2023, 19% in 2024, and 32% in 2025 versus the prior year, pointing to an accelerating trend rather than a one-time spike. Since 2023, 4th of July weekends have seen an average theft value of $243,899.73, totaling in excess of $18.8M.
Pilferage remains the most frequent mode of operation during this period, accounting for 54% of recorded events, followed by Theft of Full Truckload (24%), Facility Theft (12%), and Deceptive Pickup (10%). Deceptive Pickup, cargo theft carried out through carrier or driver identity theft and fraudulent load tendering, was rarely recorded during the 2023 and 2024 holiday weekends but emerged sharply in 2025, and organizations should treat it as an active risk heading into this year’s weekend.
By commodity, Food & Drinks (23%) and Miscellaneous goods (23%) were the most targeted product categories, followed by Electronics (19%) and Building & Industrial products (10%). Auto & Parts, Clothing & Shoes, and Personal Care each accounted for 6% of events, while Metals and Pharmaceuticals each represented 3%.
Overhaul recommends that logistics and security professionals ensure security protocols are up to date and aligned with industry best practices across sourcing, transportation, and warehouse operations. Given the rise in Deceptive Pickup schemes observed in 2025, extra attention should be paid to verifying the identity and legitimacy of any carrier or driver before a shipment is released, in addition to the traditional protocols for cargo at rest and in transit. Confirming that a given receiver’s hours of operation for the holiday weekend are consistent with scheduled delivery times and planning secure parking locations in the event a shipment must stop for an extended period, remain essential. Covert GPS tracking and active monitoring of high-value shipments continue to be among the most effective protocols to both mitigate in-transit theft and facilitate the recovery of stolen product.
In addition, the following guidelines are collectively endorsed by IMUA, PCSC, Travelers Insurance, SWTSC, SETSC, NETSC, the Cargo Security Alliance, and Overhaul:
Pre-Shipment & Carrier Verification
Verify the authenticity of all shipment-related activity before a load is tendered, particularly for any entity engaged to move or store the shipment. Driver and business verification, prior to releasing any shipment, is paramount.
Confirm a carrier’s MC/DOT number directly against FMCSA SAFER records rather than relying on the information provided in a booking email or call, and treat newly registered or recently reactivated carrier profiles with added scrutiny.
Treat unexpected changes to pickup instructions, remittance details, or contact information as a red flag. Verify any such change by calling a phone number already on file, never one supplied in the message requesting the change.
Match the driver and equipment presented for pickup against the dispatch confirmation, license plate, and CDL information on record before releasing freight, and question any mismatch between the tractor, trailer, and paperwork presented.
For high-value loads, consider requiring a second point of confirmation between shipper, broker, and carrier before dispatch, particularly during holiday periods when staffing and oversight may be reduced.
Transportation
Communication between drivers and shippers needs to be firmly established and regularly maintained during shipments over these periods. That communication should include driver(s) instruction as to what types of behavior are required and what is not permissible.
Truck stops, highway rest areas and distribution centers are frequent targets for cargo thieves, not only traditionally but more so over holiday periods. For that reason, any location where cargo would either intentionally or unintentionally come to rest, even for brief periods of time, should be made as secure as possible. Things to consider when selecting a secure area/lot include: controlled access, adequate lighting, congestion, any type of either personal or video surveillance, how long the conveyance will be left unattended, as well as past intelligence of localized cargo theft activity.
If a cargo conveyance must be left unattended for any period of time, it should be made as secure as possible. Theft-resistant locking/sealing mechanisms for tractors, trailers and cargo compartments; disabling technology for the vehicle’s power units or trailer movements; and parking vehicles and/or cargo compartments in a fashion which makes access as difficult as possible are all worthy of strong consideration.
Verify seal integrity and seal numbers against shipping documentation at every custody transfer point, particularly for rail and ocean moves, since Pilferage remains the most common mode of theft recorded during this period. Report any discrepancy to the carrier and destination facility immediately, before the shipment continues onward.
If any tracking technology, such as GPS monitoring, is available for deployment it should be used to its fullest extent possible. That would include tracking technology on the conveyance’s power unit, its cargo area (if separate), as well as within the cargo itself.
Storage
Conduct a personal inspection of both the outside and inside of your facilities before securing them. Remove/repair anything that would assist a perpetrator in his/her illicit activity. For example: exterior lighting that doesn’t work, gates/doors/windows left unsecured, keys left in forklifts inside, etc.
Extend the same scrutiny to truck yards and drop-lots, not just warehouses. Tractors and trailers left unattended overnight should be secured with kingpin locks, glad-hand locks, or similar theft-resistant devices, and parked away from gates or low-visibility areas whenever possible.
Prior to securing a facility for unattended periods, check to make sure all alarms, CCTV recording equipment, and any sources of auxiliary power are all in good working order. With anything that is battery powered, those batteries should be tested for effectiveness.
Treat all premises alarms (no matter the number or closeness in frequency) as if they are all actual penetration attempts. Responses should be made accordingly.
Make sure all lists of company individuals responsible for contact, in the event of suspicious activity or emergency, are up to date. All entities that monitor your alarm/access activity need to have access to these up-to-date lists.
Encourage local law enforcement agencies to make extra patrols in the areas where your facilities are located, as well as make it as easy as possible for them to “see” your critical access areas.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
