Cargo Theft Is Rising; Trust Is the Solution

If You Don’t Know Who You’re Dealing with, You’re in Trouble

Cargo theft is one of the fastest-growing problems in today’s supply chains. Thieves are attacking shipments across the country – indeed, the world – at alarming rates.

And this isn’t just about someone grabbing a box off a truck. This is organized crime. Cyber-savvy criminals are impersonating drivers, stealing identities and intercepting freight. According to one expert quoted by CNBC, “There’s probably a 33% chance that you’re going to be talking to a bad guy that’s looking to steal freight.”

One in three? That’s terrifying.

And it underscores something that many people forget when discussing supply chain resilience: Trust is everything.

Trusted Supply Chains Are Built on People

Yes, we live in an age of automation, digitization and artificial intelligence. People can press a button and generate reams of data and reports. Generative AI can deliver a voluminous list of supply chain providers in an instant.

But at the end of the day, your supply chain relies on people. These people source your raw materials and components. They move your shipments. They manage your warehouses and deliver your products to customers.

If you don’t know who those people really are, you’re asking for trouble. You’re opening up your operations to cargo theft.

Too many companies are trusting names and logos and making decisions too fast. Their networks are bits and bytes, not humans.

You might think you’re dealing with a reputable 3PL or freight forwarder. But unless that relationship is based on more than a sales call, a website and an online booking platform, it could all be a scam.

Yes, supply chain technology has come a long way. But thieves can exploit technology designed to improve efficiency.

Doctored invoices and AI-developed platforms that look like the real thing trick unsuspecting brokers. Drivers with fake IDS pretend to be legitimate truckers. Soon enough, your teams have handed cargo, legitimate payments – or both – over to them instead of legitimate companies.

These groups exploit your lack of supply chain security to target electronics, pharmaceuticals and food and beverages, items easy to sell and hard to trace.

Cargo thieves even hack into dispatch systems and reroute freight. And they are getting bolder. According to CargoNet, theft incidents rose 57% year-over-year in early 2024.

This kind of crime costs big money, perhaps more than $1 billion each year in the U.S. alone.

But it doesn’t just hurt the bottom line. It destroys reputations. It breaks trust with customers. And it disrupts everything from production schedules to retail inventories.

Trusted Relationships Minimize Cargo Theft

Better processes and tighter security protocols can help. But those won’t solve the core problem. Not if the people in your supply chain aren’t who they say they are.

That’s why trust is the real solution.

You don’t need to know someone’s favorite color or their dog’s name. But you need to know they are who they claim to be. You need to know their track record. Their ethics. Their reliability.

That only happens through relationships.

Tompkins Ventures has spent years building and maintaining those relationships. Our contacts have moved from our Rolodex to our speed dials to our cell phones to our customer relationship management (CRM) software.

That evolution has taken decades. That means we know these people. We have vetted them. And we have worked with them for years, sometimes decades.

That’s how Tompkins Ventures can connect you to trustworthy partners.

We don’t deal with unknowns. We do not rely on blind RFPs. So, when we match you with a 3PL, freight forwarder or last-mile provider, you’re not just getting a service. You’re getting someone we trust with our name and reputation.

And you’re getting someone who is real, someone without a reputation for cargo theft.

Every supply chain link matters. And cargo thieves only need one weak link to break the chain. You can’t just protect your transportation. You need reliable partners across all six mega-processes of supply chain: Plan, source, make, move, distribute and sell.

Tompkins Ventures works across all six. That means when you work with us, you get full-spectrum protection. Our partners don’t just move freight. They help you plan smarter, source better, make more efficiently and deliver on time – safely.

Assumptions Are Great for Cargo Thieves, Not Secure Supply Chains

There’s no room for assumptions.

Are you working with a proven company? Or just someone who bought a domain name and scraped a LinkedIn profile?

Do you have history with your partners? Or are you just hoping for the best?

With Tompkins Ventures, you don’t have to wonder. We bring you into a network of trusted partners who have passed our scrutiny and earned our confidence. These are companies we trust. Because they’ve earned it – again and again.

In a time of rising cargo theft, you can invest in locks, logs and location tracking. And you should. But if you don’t know who’s on the other end of the transaction, none of that matters.

So don’t just look for low rates or fast transit times. Look for partners who deliver peace of mind. Look for people with a reputation for doing the right thing, even when no one’s watching.

Having trouble figuring out who you’re dealing with? Then connect with me at Tompkins Ventures. We find the right people. The best people. And above all, the people you can trust.

Because when you know who you’re dealing with, cargo theft stands less of a chance.

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