How Intermodal Protects Against Cargo Theft and Freight Fraud

There's a side of intermodal that rarely gets the attention it deserves: its ability to protect against cargo theft (and freight fraud) in ways truckload simply can't. That changes now.

Intermodal transportation has structural, contractual, and operational security advantages that most truckload moves simply cannot match. And in today’s environment of record-setting cargo theft and increasingly sophisticated freight fraud, those advantages matter more than they ever have.

When you've finished this article, you'll have learned:

• Why intermodal’s physical structure, carrier vetting, and controlled-access model create layers of fraud and theft protection that truckload cannot easily replicate
• How the IANA UIIA agreement quietly serves as one of the strongest fraud-prevention mechanisms in domestic freight
• The specific security tools, from bottom-well placement to door-open sensors, that make intermodal a genuine fortress for high-value and theft-targeted freight

1. The freight fraud and theft crisis is real. And it’s getting worse.

To set the stage for why this conversation matters now: Cargo theft across North America has reached a level that should concern every shipper, carrier, and logistics provider in the industry. According to CargoNet, estimated cargo theft losses surged to nearly $725 million in 2025. That’s a 60% increase from the year prior. The average stolen shipment value rose 36% to roughly $274,000, driven by organized crime groups becoming more selective and more strategic in what they target.

And those are just the reported incidents.

The American Trucking Associations puts the broader economic impact at up to $35 billion per year when you account for indirect costs, insurance increases, and unreported losses.

Here’s what makes the current environment different from even five years ago.

The criminals have changed. These are not opportunistic thieves cutting locks at a truck stop. Today’s cargo theft is driven by well-funded, sophisticated criminal organizations operating across state and international borders. Thieves use advanced technology to track shipments, identify routes, and exploit weaknesses. They impersonate legitimate carriers. They clone motor carrier (MC) numbers. They forge insurance certificates. They use AI to create documents that are nearly impossible to distinguish from the real thing.

Strategic theft, which involves fraud and deception rather than physical break-ins, has exploded. CargoNet reported that deceptive pickup incidents increased 35% year over year and now represent 10% of recorded cargo theft events. Highway, the premier software company for truckload brokerage fraud detection, says it blocked over 352,000 fraudulent emails, 30,900 spoofed calls, and 400,000 fraud attempts in Q1 2025 alone.

And the geography is spreading. California and Texas still account for the majority of theft (58% combined in 2025), but states like New Jersey (up 50%), Indiana (up 30%), and Pennsylvania (up 24%) are seeing major increases. It’s no longer a coastal problem.

The point here isn’t to create panic. It’s to make clear that the security profile of how you move freight is no longer a secondary consideration. It’s a strategic decision. And that’s where intermodal enters the conversation in a way most shippers haven’t fully appreciated.

2. The truckload fraud problem that intermodal largely avoids

Before we get into what makes intermodal more secure, we need to understand the specific fraud mechanisms that plague truckload. Because intermodal doesn’t just offer “better” protection. It structurally avoids entire categories of fraud that truckload is deeply exposed to.

Double brokering. This is the unauthorized transfer of a load from one broker to another without the shipper’s knowledge. It has become one of the most pervasive fraud schemes in truckload. Truckstop reported a 400% increase in double-brokering complaints since 2022. The scam works because truckload freight moves through a fragmented network of brokers, carriers, and dispatchers where verification gaps are exploited daily. Criminals accept a load, re-post it at a lower rate, pocket the difference, and disappear. The shipper loses visibility. The legitimate carrier goes unpaid. Insurance often won’t cover double-brokered cargo.

Fictitious pickups. Criminals impersonate legitimate carriers, show up at a shipper’s dock with forged paperwork, load the freight, and vanish. By the time anyone realizes what happened, the cargo is gone and the trail is cold. These scams have become alarmingly sophisticated, with fake websites, cloned insurance documents, and spoofed phone numbers that match FMCSA records.

Identity theft and ghost carriers. Criminals create fictitious trucking companies or steal the identities of legitimate carriers to secure loads. They use multiple stolen identities and falsified registrations, making recovery nearly impossible. FMCSA itself has acknowledged that DOT numbers are frequently hijacked and used without authorization.

GPS and ELD spoofing. Criminals manipulate tracking data to make it appear a load is moving along its expected route when it has actually been diverted. Some operations adjust the data just slightly, creating anomalies that are difficult to catch without careful monitoring.

Now, here’s the critical distinction.

Intermodal’s operational structure makes most of these fraud vectors either impossible or dramatically harder to execute. And the single biggest reason for that is something most people outside the intermodal world have never heard of.

3. The UIIA: Intermodal’s built-in fraud prevention system (and the industry’s best-kept secret)

The key structural advantage that separates intermodal from truckload on the fraud-prevention front, is the Uniform Intermodal Interchange and Facilities Access Agreement. Known as the UIIA, it's administered by the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA). It is the only standard industry contract governing the interchange of intermodal equipment (containers, chassis, trailers) between motor carriers and equipment providers like railroads, ocean carriers, and leasing companies.

Here’s why it matters for fraud protection.

Every drayage carrier that touches intermodal freight must be a validated UIIA participant. That means they must hold an active US DOT number, an active MC number with FMCSA, and a current Standard Carrier Alpha Code (SCAC). IANA validates all of this before a carrier can participate.

Every UIIA carrier must maintain verified, compliant insurance. This includes at minimum $1 million in auto liability, general liability coverage, cargo insurance, and trailer interchange insurance. IANA doesn’t just collect certificates. It validates them. Insurance agents submit coverage electronically through IANA’s system, and IANA sends automated expiration reminders and conducts random audits of insurance policies.

No UIIA compliance, no access. If a motor carrier’s UIIA status lapses, if their insurance expires, if their authority is revoked, they cannot enter a rail yard or port facility. Period. The system provides real-time motor carrier status information to equipment providers 24/7, allowing them to confirm whether a carrier has a valid interchange in place before that carrier ever touches a container.

Over 13,000 motor carriers participate in the UIIA. Approximately 95% of all North American intermodal equipment interchanges are managed under this agreement.

Now compare that to the truckload brokerage market.

In truckload, a broker can book a carrier they’ve never worked with before off a load board, attempt to verify a few data points (MC number, insurance, safety rating), and hand over a shipper’s freight, sometimes within hours. The verification is often manual, inconsistent, and relies on documents that can be forged. There is no single binding contractual framework governing the relationship between the carrier and the infrastructure they access. There is no centralized system that validates carrier compliance in real time before freight is released.

The UIIA creates a contractual and operational moat around intermodal freight. A random criminal cannot show up at a rail yard, present forged documents, and walk away with a container. The system doesn’t allow it. The gate doesn’t open. The interchange doesn’t happen.

Is the UIIA perfect? No system is. But as a fraud-prevention mechanism, it is structurally superior to anything that exists in the truckload brokerage ecosystem. And that advantage is built into every intermodal shipment, whether you’re moving electronics, food and beverage, apparel, or pharmaceuticals.

This alone should be part of every shipper’s modal evaluation. It rarely is.

4. Fewer miles on the highway means fewer opportunities for theft

The majority of cargo theft in the United States happens on highways and at unsecured parking locations. Truck stops, rest areas, parking lots, distribution center yards, and roadside pull-offs are where thieves strike most frequently. Warehouses and distribution centers accounted for 36% of theft incidents in 2025, followed by truck stops and fuel stations at 17%.

The common thread? Freight sitting idle in exposed, publicly accessible locations.

Now think about how an intermodal move works.

The origin drayage leg is typically a short haul, often under 50 miles, from the shipper’s facility to the rail ramp. The freight is then on rail for the long-haul portion, which could be 700, 1,000, or 2,000+ miles. Then the destination drayage delivers the container over another short distance to the receiver.

What this means in practice: the vast majority of miles on an intermodal move occur inside a controlled rail network, not on public highways. The container is on a train. It’s moving. It’s not parked at a truck stop overnight. It’s not sitting at a rest area while a driver sleeps. It’s not idling in a Walmart parking lot waiting for an appointment window.

The drayage segments, where the freight is on a truck and theoretically more vulnerable, are short and typically completed within a single driving shift. The driver picks up, drives to the ramp, and drops the container. There are no overnight stops. No long stretches of highway exposure. No reason to stop at high-risk locations. Often no stops at all.

This structural characteristic of intermodal, the fact that it minimizes the time freight spends in vulnerable, publicly accessible environments, is one of its most underappreciated security advantages. Every mile on rail is a mile where the container is not exposed to highway theft, roadside break-ins, driver manipulation, or rest-stop crime.

5. Rail ramps and terminals: controlled access by design

Rail ramps and intermodal terminals are, by their nature, controlled-access facilities. This is where intermodal containers actually sit when they’re not on a train. And they offer a fundamentally different security environment than the open-road truckload model.

Standard intermodal terminal security includes perimeter fencing with controlled entry and exit points, high-definition camera surveillance, automated gate scanning, license plate recognition, security guards and gate monitoring, restricted personnel entry, 24/7 control centers, and lighting and motion detection systems.

Major Class 1 railroads have invested significantly in terminal security in recent years. BNSF has deployed electric fencing and cement barriers at intermodal facilities and increased rail police surveillance by 10,000+ hours in a single year. BNSF maintains its own fully certified state law enforcement officers who carry full police and arrest powers and conduct proactive, uniformed patrol.

Union Pacific has invested in hardening infrastructure, upgrading technology, and increasing personnel. UP’s High-Value Protection Program provides enhanced surveillance at terminals and along entire routes for containers packed for retail sale with a total value of $100,000 or more.

Compare this to where truckload freight sits between legs of a journey. A truck stop. A rest area. A distribution center yard that may or may not have a security guard. A random parking lot. The side of the road. A driver’s home.

The physical security comparison is not close.

6. Bottom-well placement: the single most effective theft-prevention tool in long-haul freight

In double-stack intermodal rail service, containers ride in one of two positions: the bottom well (lower position, inside the railcar well) or the top position (stacked above).

Railroads like BNSF and Union Pacific offer guaranteed bottom-well placement for high-value shipments. This is one of my favorite topics because it’s simple, effective, and almost nobody outside of intermodal knows about it. 

Why this matters for security: when a container is in the bottom well, it is physically surrounded by the steel walls of the railcar. The container doors are inaccessible from the outside. A thief cannot approach the container, cut the seal, and access the cargo. The container is essentially locked inside a steel cocoon for the entire rail portion of the journey.

Top containers often block visibility to the bottom well entirely. The combination of physical barriers, limited access, and the sheer difficulty of reaching a bottom well container makes this arguably the single most effective theft-prevention method for long-haul freight in North America.

Many Fortune 500 shippers now require bottom-well placement by policy for electronics, pharmaceuticals, alcohol, apparel, and other high-value or theft-targeted commodities.

There is no truckload equivalent to this. There is no way to achieve this level of physical protection for freight moving over the road. It simply does not exist.

7. Technology layers: door sensors, GPS monitoring, and risk-based routing

Beyond the physical and documentation advantages, the intermodal security toolkit has expanded dramatically in recent years thanks to improvements in technology.

Door-open sensors. Modern high-value programs now include sensors that detect when container doors are opened and send immediate alerts to IMCs and shippers. These trigger automated exception workflows and enable near-real-time intervention. The alerts integrate directly into TMS platforms and mobile notifications, giving shippers and their IMC partners immediate awareness of any unauthorized access attempt.

GPS-enabled container monitors. High-value intermodal moves increasingly include real-time GPS tracking on individual containers, along with temperature sensors (for applicable commodities), shock sensors, motion detection, and route deviation alerts. If a container veers off its planned path, the system flags it immediately.

Risk-based routing. Railroads now integrate intelligence data to route high-value shipments away from known theft hot spots. Trains carrying sensitive cargo receive priority assignment to faster mainline services. Shipments bypass slow yards and bottleneck terminals. Dwell time at vulnerable locations is minimized.

Geofencing. Carriers and IMCs can place a virtual fence around the planned route from pickup to delivery. All parties are alerted the moment the load deviates from the expected path, enabling immediate engagement with law enforcement.

High-security seals and locks. The industry has moved well beyond plastic bolt seals. Figure-8 security cables, heavy-duty reusable locks, and tamper-evident devices designed to resist bolt cutters now protect intermodal containers. BNSF actively promotes the Figure 8 security cable, a high-tensile-strength steel cable that threads through upper locking rods, making tampering virtually impossible.

Railroad police forces. Both BNSF and Union Pacific maintain their own certified law enforcement agencies with full police and arrest powers. These are not private security guards. They are sworn officers who conduct investigations, make arrests, and coordinate with federal, state, and local law enforcement on cargo theft cases.

When you stack these technology and operational layers on top of the structural advantages (UIIA validation, controlled-access terminals, bottom-well placement, minimal highway exposure), the security profile of a well-managed intermodal move is formidable.

8. How a strong IMC ties intermodal security together

Intermodal's security advantages work best if someone is actively managing each load. That’s where the Intermodal Marketing Company (IMC) plays a critical role.

A strong IMC doesn’t just book a container and hope for the best. For high-value or theft-targeted freight, the best IMCs build specialized protection programs that include:

High-value load identification. Shipments are tagged and pre-approved for additional security protocols before they ever leave the shipper’s dock.

Vetted dray carrier selection. Only experienced, UIIA-compliant dray carriers with clean safety records are assigned to high-value loads. This is not a load-board transaction. It’s a curated carrier relationship built on trust and track record.

Appointment and timing control. Narrow appointment windows minimize the time containers sit idle at any point in the supply chain. The goal is zero unnecessary dwell.

Escalation protocols. The moment something triggers an exception (a door-open alert, a route deviation, a missed checkpoint), the IMC’s operations team activates a defined response chain. Rail security is contacted. Dray carriers are reached. Shippers receive immediate communication. There is no ambiguity about who owns the problem.

Lane and route vetting. High-value lanes are evaluated for theft risk. If a lane runs through a known hot zone, the IMC coordinates bottom-well placement, priority train assignment, and alternative routing options with the railroad.

End-to-end accountability. A single team watches every event from pickup through delivery. There is no gap between the drayage segment and the rail segment where accountability shifts to nobody.

This is the IMC model we’ve built at InTek since 2007. It’s the truck-like service experience I’ve written about before. And when applied to high-value freight security, it creates a level of oversight and response capability that truckload simply does not replicate at scale.

Not every IMC operates this way. Shippers evaluating intermodal for high-value freight should ask their IMC directly about their security protocols, escalation paths, dray carrier vetting process, and technology integration. If the answers are vague, that tells you something.

9. Higher cargo coverage as a built-in advantage

While proactive measures are designed to stop theft and fraud, insurance is a necessary reactive measure when it does occur. For shippers, the higher value coverage tends to be the best option. Truckload shipments typically carry $100,000 in standard cargo coverage. Intermodal shipments generally offer $250,000 in cargo coverage, though this varies by IMC and should always be confirmed before loading freight.

That’s a meaningful difference for shippers moving high-value goods. It doesn’t prevent theft, but it provides a stronger financial safety net when incidents occur.

Shippers moving freight valued above standard coverage limits should discuss supplemental cargo insurance options with their IMC. And when shipping cross-border into Mexico, cargo insurance risk often falls entirely on the shipper. Know your coverage before the container leaves.

10. Intermodal vs. truckload: the security comparison

Intermodal’s security advantages:

• UIIA-validated dray carriers with verified insurance and active authority, checked in real time before equipment interchange
• Controlled-access rail terminals with fencing, cameras, gates, guards, and 24/7 monitoring
• Bottom-well placement that makes containers physically inaccessible during rail transit
• Minimal highway exposure, with drayage legs typically under 50 miles
• No overnight truck stops, rest-area parking, or extended roadside exposure
• Railroad police forces with full law enforcement authority
• Door-open sensors, GPS tracking, geofencing, and risk-based routing
• Higher standard cargo coverage ($250K vs. $100K)
• Defined escalation paths through IMC oversight
• No exposure to double-brokering, fictitious pickups, or ghost-carrier scams

Truckload’s security vulnerabilities:

• Greater exposure to roadside and truck-stop theft
• Susceptible to double-brokering, fictitious pickups, and identity fraud
• Driver manipulation and social engineering risks
• Extended idle time in unsecured locations
• Higher driver turnover creating inconsistent security awareness
• Limited real-time monitoring on many loads
• Insurance gaps when freight is double-brokered
• No centralized carrier-validation system comparable to the UIIA
• GPS and ELD spoofing increasingly common

This is not to say truckload is inherently unsafe. Plenty of carriers and brokers have invested heavily in security. But at a structural level, intermodal has advantages that truckload cannot easily replicate.

11. When intermodal is NOT the right choice for high-value freight

Intermodal is not always the right fit for security-sensitive freight.

Avoid intermodal for high-value loads when drayage distances exceed 60 to 75 miles (longer dray exposure increases highway risk). When lane frequency is too low to support consistent high-value security protocols. When appointment windows are extremely tight and cannot accommodate a one-to-two day transit buffer. When the product is so time-sensitive that rail transit cannot meet delivery requirements. When the origin-destination pair doesn’t align with strong intermodal corridors.

Even with the strongest security infrastructure, lane fit still matters. Not every lane is an intermodal lane. That honesty is what builds trust. We’ve always believed that at InTek, and we practice it daily by telling shippers when intermodal isn’t the right answer for a specific lane or commodity.

12. What shippers should do to secure cargo

If you're a shipper moving high-value or theft-targeted commodities and you haven’t evaluated intermodal as a security strategy (not just a cost strategy), you’re leaving protection on the table.

Here’s where to start.

Map your high-value lanes against intermodal corridors. Identify where your most theft-vulnerable freight aligns with strong rail service.

Ask your IMC about their security protocols. Specifically: UIIA compliance verification, dray carrier vetting, bottom-well placement, sensor technology, escalation paths, and railroad coordination.

Request a high-value lane screening. A competent IMC can score your lanes for theft risk and design mitigation protocols for each one.

Evaluate your current truckload exposure. How much of your high-value freight sits at truck stops overnight? How much moves through known theft corridors with minimal security? How vulnerable are you to double-brokering or fictitious pickup scams?

Test intermodal on two to three high-value lanes. Start with your highest-risk, longest-haul freight. Measure security outcomes alongside cost and transit performance.

The freight environment has changed. Organized crime rings are more sophisticated than ever. Fraud tactics are evolving faster than most companies can adapt. The old assumption that truckload is inherently safer because “it’s just one truck and one driver” no longer holds up.

Intermodal, managed correctly, offers a security profile that most shippers haven’t fully considered. It’s time to reconsider.

Final words

Cargo theft and freight fraud have become defining challenges of the current market. The numbers are staggering and the trajectory points upward.

In that environment, how you move freight is a security decision, not just a cost decision.

Intermodal offers something unique: a combination of contractual validation (UIIA), physical protection (controlled terminals, bottom-well placement), minimal highway exposure (short drayage, long rail), advanced technology (sensors, GPS, geofencing), and institutional enforcement (railroad police) that creates multiple layers of protection around your freight.

None of this means intermodal is theft-proof. Nothing is. But the structural advantages are real, they’re growing, and they deserve a serious place in every shipper’s freight security strategy.

For Shelli Austin and me, this has been a priority since we shifted InTek’s direction in 2007. We’ve built our operation around the principle that intermodal should be truck-like in service and superior in protection. The security infrastructure that exists in intermodal today validates that belief.

If this article changed how you think about freight security and modal choice, then it did its job.

Want to go deeper on intermodal security?

Visit InTek Logistics, read our blog, and listen to (or watch) The Intermodal Logistics Podcast as we continue this conversation.