Criminals can infiltrate trusted freight channels through compromised carrier accounts, email systems, business phone lines, or compliance platforms, according to Verisk CargoNet. Once inside, they may alter delivery instructions after a legitimate trucking company has taken possession of a load — a maneuver that can bypass safeguards focused solely on carrier selection. Verisk CargoNet identifies this identity-based deception as a growing holiday threat. The tactic is part of a broader industry shift that law enforcement and logistics analysts have described as strategic cargo theft, in which fraudsters use spoofed identities, double brokering, and falsified carrier credentials to arrange legitimate pickups of stolen freight rather than physically hijacking trucks.

The warning accompanies a five-year analysis covering Labor Day periods from 2021 through 2025, released Friday ahead of the 2026 holiday weekend. Verisk CargoNet recorded 273 incidents across the United States during those seven-day windows, with estimated commodity value reaching approximately $31.8 million.

Labor Day thefts climbed 70%

The annual count rose from 33 incidents in 2021 to 56 in 2025, a 70% jump. Activity peaked at a five-year high of 70 cases in 2024. CargoNet found that risk remained materially above the levels recorded early in the period.

Friday led every weekday with 55 incidents, followed by Tuesday with 49, Thursday with 46, and Wednesday with 44. Those four days generated 194 cases — 71% of the entire analysis. The holiday weekend itself produced significantly fewer reports: Saturday accounted for 24 incidents, Sunday had 28, and Labor Day Monday recorded 27.

CargoNet connected this pattern with deceptive pickups and non-delivery schemes, which depend on active phone lines, working employees, and freight moving through normal channels. Those conditions decline during closures before returning around the weekend.

CargoNet described two overlapping risks surrounding the holiday. Physical exposure develops when loaded freight remains stationary during closures or schedule disruptions. Verification exposure emerges when limited staffing combines with time pressure — conditions that help criminals impersonate carriers, alter instructions, or introduce fraudulent contact information. That second category has drawn growing attention across the freight sector, where digital onboarding and load boards have made carrier vetting faster but also created more points where credentials can be faked or accounts hijacked.

Three states accounted for nearly half

California, Texas, and Illinois accounted for 130 incidents, representing 48% of the five-year total. California led the country with 70 cases, Texas followed with 38, and Illinois recorded 22. Verisk connected this concentration with dense freight networks, large consumer markets, and intermodal infrastructure.

Food and beverage shipments led all commodity categories with 49 incidents. Household goods ranked second with 27, followed by electronics at 25. Vehicles and accessories accounted for 20 cases, while metals produced 11. CargoNet noted that these products offer strong resale opportunities through numerous illicit channels. Food and beverage loads have long been attractive targets because they are harder to trace once repackaged and move quickly through wholesale and gray-market distribution.

The broader financial threat extends beyond Labor Day. CargoNet estimated cargo theft losses exceeded $359 million during the first six months of 2026, with average stolen commodity value reaching approximately $341,518. Organized groups increasingly pursue expensive metals, enterprise technology components, and other high-value freight.

Verisk did not identify individual victims, suspects, carriers, or investigations within the Labor Day analysis. The report provided no breakdown separating physical thefts from identity-based schemes, and CargoNet withheld individual loss amounts and recovery outcomes. Those details remain unknown from Friday's announcement.

Why it matters

Brokers, carriers, and shippers face exposure before, during, and after the holiday weekend. The findings show that routine business activity can give criminals more opportunities than complete closures do. For supply chain teams, the practical watch point going into future holiday periods is verification discipline beyond initial carrier selection — confirming contact numbers independently, re-checking delivery instructions after dispatch, and monitoring pickups scheduled around staffing gaps.