Cargo theft remains a growing concern in Canada, with Ontario accounting for 85% of all reported incidents in 2024, according to Overhaul’s newly released annual cargo theft report, that summarizes and analyzes theft data collected in 2024 across Canada and the U.S.
The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) remains the country’s biggest hotspot, while the remaining 15% of thefts were spread across British Columbia (5%), Saskatchewan (4%), Alberta (3%), Quebec (1%), New Brunswick (1%), and Newfoundland (1%).
Despite being historically underreported compared to the U.S., cargo theft in Canada is well known within the industry, and criminal networks mirror those in the U.S., using the same sophisticated methods to steal and distribute stolen goods. In Sept. 2024, Mark Haywood, a detective with Peel Regional Police who runs the cargo side of its Commercial Auto Crime Bureau, said cargo theft in the Greater Toronto Area’s Peel Region has taken a disturbing turn, placing it third in North America for high cargo theft activity.
“We’re third in North America for cargo theft, behind the states of California and Florida,” Haywood said. “We rival the same theft rates as Texas. But then again, you’re talking about an entire state, and we’re a region, a small region in Ontario.”
The report warns that cargo theft in Canada is likely to continue rising until specific cargo theft legislation is introduced and more data is made available to assess the full extent of the problem.
Electronics remained the most stolen product type in Canada last year, representing 31% of all cargo thefts, with the highest average loss value in the country. The building and industrial sector and auto parts each accounted for 17% of thefts, while food and drinks and tobacco followed at 7% each.
The report found that criminals in Canada are mostly targeting shipments when they are left unattended. The most common theft locations included unsecured parking areas (24%), secured parking lots (18%), warehouses and distribution centers (18%), and truck stops and fuel stations (15%).
For the third consecutive year, full truckload thefts accounted for the majority of cargo crime in Canada, making up 64% of all incidents, while pilferage—the theft of partial loads—accounted for 32%.
Based on the insights from more than 13,500 major cargo theft incidents across the U.S. and Canada, the report also highlights a growing threat from organized crime rings on both sides of the border.
Cargo theft in the U.S. spikes 49%
Cargo theft incidents in the U.S. jumped by 49% in 2024, with a 17% increase in the value of stolen goods, according to the report.
Overhaul recorded a total of 2,217 cargo thefts throughout the U.S. in 2024, with number of incidents increasing each quarter, reaching its peak in Q4, at 687 thefts. Each quarter recorded 30% more thefts than the same period the previous year. With an average of 184.8 reported thefts per month, the U.S. sustained cargo thefts at a rate of 6.07 per day in 2024, up from 4.06 in 2023.
Overhaul predicts that theft incidents will rise another 22% in 2025, with total reported thefts climbing from 2,217 to 2,705 nationwide.
More than half of all U.S. cargo thefts occurred in California (32%) and Texas (19%), reinforcing their status as the nation’s top hotspots. While California’s overall share of nationwide thefts declined compared to last year, it still saw a 15% year-over-year increase in actual theft volumes. Meanwhile, the three states that follow California on the list of hotspots – Texas, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania – experienced a significant jump in incidents, with Texas and Pennsylvania seeing a 7-percentage point increase compared to 2023. Other states identified in the top 10 hotspots include Georgia, Illinois, Arizona, New York, Louisiana and Florida.
Most of the cargo crime is also strategic and concentrated on specific days and times. Mondays and Fridays accounted for 35% of all thefts, as cargo is often in transit or temporarily stored. As for timetables, the pattern changed from what was shown in 2023, with more than 29% of cargo thefts occurred between midnight and 6 a.m., marking a seven-percentage-point increase. Thefts occurring in the afternoon between noon and 6 p.m. decreased 3 percentage points, representing a total of 25% in 2024.
Types of cargo targeted
For the fourth consecutive year, electronics was the most stolen product type among recorded cargo theft incidents, registering 24% of total thefts, a slight increase from 22% in 2023. Miscellaneous (15%) was the second most stolen product type, recording a 15% increase from 2023. Home and garden category, along with auto and parts, and food and drinks categories – each accounting for 10% of stolen goods – followed closely behind, maintaining the third place in 2024.
Televisions and display screens were the most targeted electronics items, representing 23% of incidents, a nine-percentage-point increase from 2023. Audio and video equipment thefts accounted for 15%, rising seven percent year-over-year. Pilferage made up 48% of electronics-related thefts, while full truckload thefts increased from 20% in 2023 to 22% in 2024. Electronics were also affected by deceptive pickup scams, which accounted for 21% of thefts.
Among home and garden category, appliances accounted for the largest share of stolen goods at 32%. Pet supplies followed at 14%, while toys and games saw a significant jump from 8% in 2023 to 14% in 2024. Along with the increase in theft volume, toys and games also experienced the highest growth in average loss value, soaring 193% year-over-year.
Pilferage accounted for half of all food-related thefts, as criminals targeted high-value and easy-to-resell items like candy, cookies, and snacks, which made up 18% of stolen food cargo. Theft of full truckload accounted for 32% of incidents, followed by last-mile courier with 7%.
Cargo theft methods evolve, rail and train yard thefts surge
Since the second quarter of 2023, Overhaul has observed a significant rise in strategic theft methods.
Criminals are increasingly employing fraudulent and deceptive practices to gain control of cargo shipments, resulting in the theft of partial or full loads. From 2023 to 2024, the rate of pilferage increased by 38%, while the rate of theft of full truckload increased by 4%, the report says. Despite these notable increases, the types of events with the highest increase in 2024 were facility theft (63%), deceptive pickup (57%), last-mile courier (29%), and hijacking (22%).
Rail and train yard thefts surged 89%, despite maintaining a similar proportion of all recorded locations as in 2023. The report estimates there were at least 600 confirmed cargo thefts in those yards the U.S. each month. This trend is anticipated to continue throughout 2025, with Overhaul projecting a 26% rise in theft rates at train and rail yards.
Criminals used tactics such as blocking train tracks with disabled vehicles – while those are being removed, the criminals tamper with the train’s air lines, rendering the train immobile for several hours until repairs are completed. Criminals also target trains that are waiting to enter a train yard, typically held at a standstill just outside the yard’s perimeter, or moving at a very low speed as they approach the entrance, making them easy targets for a quick theft.
