Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025:
Cargo theft activity down 10% in third quarter from Q2
Cargo theft activity in the U.S. and Canada during the third quarter was mostly flat compared to the same period a year ago, according to theft recording firm Verisk CargoNet. The firm in its Q3 report showed a “stabilizing theft landscape, evolving tactics among organized crime groups, and increased targeting of high-value and ultra-high-value goods.”
CargoNet recorded 772 cargo theft events across the U.S. and Canada in Q3 -- a modest 1% increase compared to Q3 2024 and a 10% decrease from Q2 2025. While incident volume remained relatively stable, the financial impact surged to record levels.
Food and beverage commodities led all categories with 170 theft events, followed by household goods (92) and metals (65). As the holiday season approaches, CargoNet noted a modest uptick in thefts of games and toys.Verisk CargoNet
The total value of stolen goods in Q3 2025 reached $111.88 million, driven by organized crime groups targeting high-value shipments of enterprise computer hardware, cryptocurrency mining equipment, and copper products. The average stolen shipment value doubled to $336,787, up from $168,448 in Q3 2024 -- clear evidence that cargo thieves are becoming more strategic in selecting targets, CargoNet noted.
California and Texas -- historically high-theft states -- saw modest year-over-year increases of 11% and 12%, respectively. However, the most dramatic shift occurred in the New York City metropolitan area, where New Jersey theft incidents surged 110% and Pennsylvania rose 33%.
"The NYC metro area is emerging as both a primary location for theft activity and a destination for stolen goods," said Keith Lewis, VP of Operations at CargoNet. "Organized crime groups are exploiting the region’s dense logistics network and proximity to major consumer markets."
CargoNet’s analysis showed organized crime groups are in a transitional phase, adapting to anti-fraud tools deployed across the logistics industry. While overall activity remained relatively static year-over-year and declined modestly from Q2 2025, behavioral shifts within these networks signal a recalibration that supply chain stakeholders must monitor closely, the firm said.
Some groups are abandoning complex schemes, such as proof-of-delivery fraud and authority takeovers, in favor of simpler, more direct thefts of unattended, loaded trailers, especially in Southern California, the Bay Area, Phoenix, and Lake Tahoe.
Conversely, other groups are refining their fraud tactics to bypass security measures. According to CargoNet, these bad actors exploit a critical vulnerability: most anti-fraud tools focus on the shipment tender phase. Using sophisticated social engineering, they gather intelligence on shipments already assigned to legitimate carriers. Once they identify the carrier, they impersonate company representatives to misdirect drivers.
In Q3, CargoNet witnessed criminal groups leverage social engineering techniques to obtain granular shipment details, including the specific brokerage handling the shipment, the assigned motor carrier, and critically, the names and contact information of individual points of contact at both the brokerage and carrier level. By using the correct names, company details, and shipment specifics, these criminals established credibility that allowed them to redirect shipments to fraudulent addresses without ever being tendered the shipment.
CargoNet expects these social engineering tactics to become more prevalent in Q4, particularly as criminal groups refine their information gathering methods and exploit publicly available load board data to identify and research high-value targets.
Voting for Transition Trucking award open through Veterans Day
Public voting for the annual Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence Award finalists began Nov. 1 and will run through Veterans Day, Nov. 11.
The prestigious award, coordinated by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes program, Kenworth Truck Company and Fastport, honors military veterans who have made an outstanding transition into the commercial trucking industry.
This year’s top award winner will drive away in the state-of-the-art Kenworth T680, equipped with a 76-inch sleeper and the Paccar Powertrain featuring the Paccar MX-13 engine rated at 455 horsepower, Paccar TX-12 automated transmission and Paccar DX-40 tandem rear axles. The program will award a $10,000 prize for the runner-up and $5,000 for the second runner-up.Kenworth
Through a comprehensive nomination process, careful review by a selection committee, and a final public vote, the program will recognize and reward America’s top rookie military veteran drivers. The winner will be announced on Dec. 12 during a special event at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C.
The general public is invited to cast their vote online on the Transition Trucking website. Information on each of the three finalists is below. A short video on each driver is also available on the Transition Trucking website’s voting page.
- Charles Jones Jr., U.S. Army (E-7), Roehl Transport – Sergeant First Class Charles C. Jones Jr. (Ret.) graduated from high school in Indian Trail, North Carolina, in 2004 and committed to the Army through the Delayed Entry Program. With over 20 years of service, he served as an unmanned aircraft systems operator, instructor operator, standards operator, and platoon sergeant, completing three combat deployments to Iraq and two rotations to South Korea. A devoted husband to Katrina and father to Alvin and Monica, Jones graduated from Georgia Driving Academy in December 2024 and began his professional driving career with Roehl Transport in early 2025.
- Macy Mattice, U.S. Army (E-4), Melton Truck Lines – Macy Mattice is a proud U.S. Army veteran who served from 2010 to 2018 as an 88M motor transport operator, specializing in heavy equipment transportation. Today, she is a flatbed driver for Melton Truck Lines, where she applies the discipline and determination gained from military service. Originally from Winter Springs, Florida, Mattice lives near Jacksonville with her son, Rusty. She loves adventure, animals, and embracing new challenges – continuing to write her next chapter, one road at a time.
- Mark Scriven, U.S. Army (E-6), Stevens Transport – Mark Scriven, a U.S. Army veteran and former staff sergeant, served nine years as a patriot missile operator/maintainer, earning multiple Army achievement medals and recognition as a combat lifesaver. Today, he brings the same dedication, discipline, and leadership he obtained in the military to his career as a professional truck driver and trainer with Stevens Transport. Scriven, a father of three, recently welcomed a daughter in August.
Penske recognizes latest Driver Wall of Fame inductees
Penske Logistics has inducted its 2024 and 2025 Driver Wall of Fame classes by recognizing the company’s elite professional truck drivers. From left to right: Juan Sixtos, Mike Larmeu, Keith Tyler, Delio Garcia, Tom Spence, Tim Cote, Susan Fabian and Darrall Headrick. Not pictured is Will Lawrie.Penske Logistics
Penske Logistics (CCJ Top 250, No. 13) has inducted its 2024 and 2025 Driver Wall of Fame classes by recognizing the company's elite professional truck drivers. The drivers are being celebrated for the remarkable achievement of 20 years of consecutive safe driving.
The Penske Logistics Driver Recognition Program features multiple levels that honor consecutive safe driving without any preventable injuries or incidents: Diamond (20 years), Platinum (15 years), Gold (10 years) and Silver (5 years).
The 2024 Penske Logistics Diamond Class:
- Tim Cote, Michigan
- Susan Fabian, Georgia
- Darrall Headrick, Texas
- Mike Larmeu, Louisiana
The 2025 Penske Logistics Diamond Class:
- Delio Garcia, Ontario, Canada
- Will Lawrie, Arizona
- Juan Sixtos, California
- Tom Spence, Delaware
- Keith Tyler, Michigan
The company's Driver Wall of Fame, located at its Reading, Pennsylvania, headquarters, now displays 85 all-time recipients.
"It is with tremendous honor and respect that we induct these Driver Wall of Fame classes," said Jeff Jackson, Penske Logistics president. "Our professional drivers are paramount to our company's success. They serve as the industry's gold standard for safety."
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