Verisk CargoNet flags elevated Labor Day cargo theft risk after 5-year analysis shows 70% rise in incidents
VRSK•Cargo theft risk rises around Labor Day
Verisk published a CargoNet analysis flagging elevated Labor Day cargo-theft risk across U.S. freight networks based on 2021-2025 incidents.
- Recorded 273 thefts in the Thursday-before through Wednesday-after window; annual incidents rose to 56 in 2025 from 33 in 2021.
- Theft clustered around the holiday, not the weekend; Thursday, Friday, Tuesday and Wednesday made up 71% of incidents.
- California led with 70 incidents; Texas logged 38; Illinois recorded 22, reflecting concentration in major freight hubs.
- Estimated stolen commodity value totaled about USD 31.8 million; analysis highlighted rising identity-based fraud alongside physical theft.
