Key Insights from the 14th Annual Texas Cargo Training Summit

Date: March 19–20, 2025

Location: BNSF Headquarters, Fort Worth, Texas

Hosted by: Southwest Transportation Security Council (SWTSC)

As cargo crime reaches unprecedented levels, the 14th Annual Texas Cargo Training Summit convened industry leaders, law enforcement professionals, and private-sector security experts to share intelligence, discuss investigative breakthroughs, and align on strategies to protect today’s increasingly vulnerable supply chains.

Held at the BNSF Headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas, the event covered critical topics, including regional theft trends, evolving criminal methods, and the growing importance of an intelligence-led security strategy.

AKTEK was proud to participate and engage with security professionals who share our mission of helping organizations better protect their people, assets, and operations.

A Sharp Rise in Cargo Theft

The summit took place against a backdrop of alarming statistics. According to Verisk CargoNet, cargo theft incidents surged 27% in 2024, reaching 3,625 reported cases across the U.S. and Canada.

However, several speakers stressed that these figures are likely only 1/10th of the actual problem due to underreporting and lack of cross-sector visibility.

“Cargo theft represented $455 million in reported losses, which is likely only one-tenth the size of the real problem.” – Scott Cornell, Travelers.

The economic impact is felt not only through lost goods but also through increased insurance costs, logistical delays, and the disruption of entire supply chains.

“It’s not just property crime anymore; people’s livelihoods are at stake, businesses get hurt, and jobs are at risk.” — Phil Wolan, Grapevine PD.

Highlights & Key Takeaways

Cargo Theft Trends & Tactics

Speakers emphasized that cargo theft is no longer isolated to specific regions in the US—it’s a national issue requiring coordinated defenses. Criminals are becoming more organized, often conducting days of surveillance before striking a distribution center, for example.

Speakers emphasized that cargo theft operations are well-organized, intelligence-led, and highly strategic. Criminals are using more sophisticated methods to outmaneuver traditional defenses.

“Criminals are good at two things: knowing what to hit and when to strike.” — Scott Cornell, Travelers.

Despite this, straight theft remains the most common method, making up 65% of incidents, with strategic theft and fraud schemes also on the rise.

Rail Cargo: A National Security Concern

One of the most urgent conversations at the summit was the rise of rail cargo theft, which has become a key vulnerability in key U.S. supply chains.

In 2024, an estimated 65,000 rail thefts occurred, marking a 40% increase from the previous year.

These crimes cost the nation’s largest freight railroads over $100 million, factoring in stolen cargo, infrastructure damage, operational delays, and inflationary pressures passed along the supply chain.

Freight providers are facing more organized, armed, and tech-savvy criminal networks than ever before. Yet arrests are rare—railroads estimate only one in ten theft attempts result in apprehension, and repeat offenders are a major challenge.

One railroad apprehended the same individual five times in one day. Another made seventeen arrests of the same person for repeated theft attempts.

Chief Bryan Laurie from the BNSF Police highlighted that a single type of actor does not carry out these crimes but instead falls into three main offender profiles:

1. Transnational Organized Crime
2. Loosely Organized Criminal Street Gangs
3. Criminal Opportunists

The scale, repetition, and organization of these thefts reveal a troubling reality: rail theft is no longer a local issue—it is a systemic, national-level threat.

Solving it will require multi-layered federal action, data-sharing between sectors, and investments in proactive detection.

The Importance of Intelligence-Driven Security

Throughout the sessions, the same conclusion emerged repeatedly: in today’s environment, you can’t protect what you can’t see.

Criminals are adapting faster than ever. Surveillance, decoys, GPS jamming, and strategic fraud schemes are now standard in many operations. That means organizations need more than cameras or checkpoints—they need intelligence.

“You have to use intelligence to make your security plans and develop a culture around theft prevention.” – Scott Cornell, Travelers.

Security today must be proactive, layered, and analytics-enhanced. 

Whether protecting a warehouse, a truckload of consumer goods, or a moving rail boxcar, your protection strategy is only as good as the intelligence behind it. Without visibility, you’re reacting instead of anticipating.

Moving Forward: Collaboration as the Cornerstone

More than a training event, the Texas Cargo Summit served as a platform for partnership, fostering stronger ties between the public and private sectors. First-time attendees joined seasoned experts in discussions shaping the future of supply chain protection.

We extend our thanks to JJ Coughlin and the Southwest Transportation Security Council for organizing this impactful event—and to all the experts and investigators working to stay ahead of the threats challenging our global logistics networks.

At AKTEK, we remain committed to supporting these efforts by equipping organizations with the intelligence tools they need to detect threats, identify criminal patterns, and protect critical supply chains.

Interested in how AKTEK’s intelligence solutions can help safeguard your cargo operations?
Get in touch with our team at contact@aktek.io.