The short version: Cargo theft is surging. CargoNet tracked 3,594 theft events in 2025, with estimated losses near $725 million and an average loss above $270,000 per event. Your strongest overnight defense is simple: park in a secured, gated, well-lit, monitored facility instead of an open lot, public rest area, or highway ramp.
Cargo theft has moved from an occasional headache to a daily threat, and the overnight hours are when freight is most exposed. The good news is that the single most effective defense is also the most straightforward: where you park. Here is what the data shows, and how to lower your risk before you shut down for the night.
How bad is cargo theft right now?
It is at record levels. According to CargoNet, the industry tracked 3,594 cargo theft events in 2025, a sharp year-over-year increase, with estimated total losses approaching $725 million. The average loss per event was about $273,990. Those are not abstract numbers; each one is a load, a driver’s day, and often a customer relationship gone in a single night.
Where and when does theft happen?
Location matters, and Texas is squarely in the crosshairs. CargoNet’s reporting has repeatedly flagged California and Texas as the top two states for cargo theft, with the Dallas-Fort Worth area a known hotspot. Theft also tends to spike around long holiday weekends, when freight sits unattended for days.
It helps to know the two broad types of theft, a framework described by transportation crime experts such as Travelers’ Scott Cornell, reported by outlets like FleetOwner:
- Straight theft. The classic version: thieves physically take a trailer or its contents, usually from an unsecured lot, rest area, or roadside, most often when the truck is unattended overnight.
- Strategic theft. Fraud and deception, such as identity theft and fictitious pickups, used to trick a load away from its rightful carrier.
For drivers, the overnight risk is overwhelmingly straight theft, and that is the part you control by choosing where to park.
How to reduce your risk overnight
A few habits cut your exposure dramatically:
- Park in a secured facility. Gated access, perimeter fencing, bright lighting, and 24/7 cameras are the strongest deterrents. This is the biggest single decision you make each night.
- Avoid leaving loaded trailers in open lots and ramps. These are the easiest targets, especially when unattended.
- Use layered locks. Kingpin locks, glad-hand locks, and high-security door locks add time and difficulty that thieves try to avoid.
- Do not advertise the load. Be mindful about discussing valuable freight, and keep paperwork secure.
- Run your pre-rest checks. A quick walkaround before you shut down matters; see our semi-trailer parking checks before you rest.
You cannot control the theft trend, but you can control where your trailer spends the night, and that is the decision that protects the load.
Park where your freight is protected
The simplest, most reliable way to reduce overnight cargo theft risk is to park behind a gate, under lights and cameras, in a facility built for security. That is exactly what SafeStop provides in the DFW area, and what we offer fleets through our DFW fleet parking.
Sources
- CargoNet, 2025 cargo theft data (event counts, total losses, and average loss per event). cargonet.com
- FleetOwner, reporting on straight vs. strategic cargo theft (Travelers’ Scott Cornell). fleetowner.com