The issue of cargo theft continues to affect freight transportation of all kinds - with no mode or shipment immune. But in addition to ongoing lobbying by groups like the Transportation Intermediaries Association to increase enforcement and penalties for theft and fraud, railroads are taking action to stop thieves from getting their hands on intermodal loads - especially those featuring high-value cargo.
The cargo theft problem
Cargo theft is undoubtedly a problem, and a costly problem for carriers, brokers and shippers when it occurs. Just how costly? The Association of American Railroads says it cost class 1 railroads more than $100 million in 2024 - with organized, repeat offenders largely responsible for the more than 65,000 thefts that occurred last year (a 40% increase from the year prior).
Overall, the cost of cargo theft of all types in the U.S. in 2025's second quarter alone was about $62 million. CargoNet reports the average stolen shipment value during that time was $203,586, with food & beverage and household goods the top targets. Top targets fluctuate to some degree based on how much they're worth, but high-value freight is particularly vulnerable (and obviously the most costly when stolen).
How does railroad cargo theft occur?
Freight traveling by rail is generally safer from theft than its trucking counterpart, because it remains in sealed containers from origin to destination and is continuously on the move once the train starts rolling on the tracks. Plus, when resting, containers are held in secure facilities like ports and railyards.
However, railroad cargo is hardly immune to theft as noted in the AAR statistics. Sophisticated thieves identify both vulnerable containers - those lacking strong seals - and those containing high-value commodities, find opportunities when they will sit unsupervised (as there can be downtime during any journey) and work in teams with specialized equipment to break seals and quickly steal cargo. Railroads though, are fighting back.
Union Pacific High Value Protection Program
Union Pacific touts considerable investments in cargo security in recent years, including hardening infrastructure, upgrading technology, and increasing personnel. And part of those theft deterrence efforts involve its High-Value Protection Program.
The program is available for containers packed for retail sale with a total value of $100,000 or more. Shipments enrolled in the High-Value Protection Program benefit from extra layers of oversight, including:
- Enhanced surveillance at terminals and along the entire route by UP Police
- Standard Transportation Commodity Codes (STCCs) based on product type to help provide surveillance
- Placement in identified, high-visibility areas on origin and destination Union Pacific intermodal facilities
To qualify though, shippers must do their part as well when it comes to container seals.
While traditional indicative (tin or plastic) seals are better than nothing, they are very easily breached. That's why for enhanced coverage on these high-value containers, UP requires using theft-deterrent barrier seals (which tend not to be much more expensive than the basic type anyway). Approved seals include:- Hasp locks
- U-brackets
- Figure 8 with bolt seal
- Power in-locks
These theft-deterrent seals should all meet ISO/PAS 17712:2013 high security seal standards.
BNSF Security Solutions
Another class 1 railroad - BNSF - also highlights a number of comprehensive security measures to cover pickup through delivery, including:
- Its own fully certified state law enforcement officers who carry full police and arrest powers who conduct proactive, uniformed patrol to combat trespassing and cargo theft
- Free, on-site security consultations with shippers
- Site-specific security procedures, processes and physical security to deliver a high degree of protection at intermodal facilities
Additionally, as with UP, BNSF encourages the use of stronger seals, particularly highlighting the figure 8 option. At the Journal of Commerce's TPM25 in March, BNSF CEO Katie Farmer spoke of some of the railroad's efforts to beef up security:
“We are putting up electric fencing and building cement barriers in our intermodal facilities. Last year, our rail police spent 10,000 more hours in surveillance than the year before. We’re using drone technology between Barstow [California] and Belen [New Mexico]. We have heat technology, thermal technology and BNSF Police officers riding trains.”
CSX safety and security
CSX highlights safety and security as priorities, in terms of trains, infrastructure, cargo and employee safety. The railroad has its own police force as well and has developed the CSX Community Awareness Planning Guide, which it distributes to more than 13,000 jurisdictions as a planning tool for community emergency personnel. It additionally encourages seals and other cargo security procedures.
Norfolk Southern Safety
Norfolk Southern discusses how rail is the safest way to move freight, citing every major metric from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). But NS also discusses innovative technology and real-time data insights that help spot issues sooner and deliver solutions faster - both for safety and security. The railroad, just as other class 1s do, has its own police force as well.
CPKC Security
As the only single-line railroad to serve all of North America, CPKC outlines a multi-layered security model that covers all aspects of shipping in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. The railroad points to dedicated security teams in each country that collaborate to identify and mitigate potential risks. It also highlights:
- A proactive, risk-based security management approach that continually evaluates railway assets and evolving threats
- Routine, in-depth security audits to ensure safeguards stay ahead of the curve
- Advanced countermeasures ready to spring into action for rapid incident response
CPKC has its own police force in the U.S. and Canada, guards on trains and conveyance sealing devices in Mexico, and scanning and digital imaging technology to monitor border crossings and trains in transit among other measures.
The enforcement solution
The TIA, AAR and the transportation industry in general point to a need for greater enforcement of cargo theft laws to deter thieves. Railroads estimate only about one in 10 cargo theft attempts leads to an arrest according to the association - and even then, the same players keep showing up. In one case, a railroad apprehended the same individual five times in a single day. Another reported arresting the same repeat offender a staggering 17 times.
Keeping the focus on the railroads, the AAR recommends three actions that would help:
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- At the federal level, advance the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act to enhance law enforcement tools and establish a data sharing repository for the industry while enhancing coordination between state, local and federal law enforcement.
- At the state level, increase penalties for those convicted of stealing cargo.
- Across the board, secure funding for dedicated prosecutors to focus on going after cargo thieves.
Between railroad investment, greater enforcement/deterrence and shippers (as well as brokers) taking every action they can to keep freight moving in secure containers, combating cargo theft takes a village - and we're a part of it at InTek Logistics, too, as we help coordinate security for every shipping journey. Request a quote with us to start moving your freight, and we'll collaborate on plans to ship efficiently and securely. For more information about InTek Intermodal, or the logistics and supply chain space in general, check out our Freight Guides.
