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Inside Threat: Organized Cargo Theft Rings Now Infiltrating Driver Ranks

Cargo theft is evolving as criminal networks shift tactics. They now place operatives directly within trucking companies rather than targeting warehouses and brokers. Scott Cornell, Chief Risk Officer at SPG Cargo & Logistics, identified a pattern of thefts where drivers possessed suspicious inconsistencies in their documentation and questionable explanations for vehicle locations. The scheme, referred to as the Trojan Driver model, grants criminals complete control over shipment movement and handoff timing. This represents a significant departure from earlier methods where intelligence gathering and execution remained separate functions. Industry improvements in carrier vetting and onboarding forced organized theft groups to adapt their approach. Rather than exploiting fake carrier identities, they now infiltrate hiring processes at legitimate trucking firms. Cornell expects this method to spread gradually, as operatives must wait for optimal load assignments and conditions.