Cargo theft has always been a challenge for the logistics industry, but the nature of the threat is changing. As freight networks become increasingly digital, organised criminals are adopting more sophisticated methods to target valuable goods – and technology is giving them new ways to do it.
From corporate identity hijacking and fraudulent carriers to forged documentation and carefully planned infiltration of legitimate businesses, modern freight crime can begin long before anyone gets near a truck or warehouse. AI is adding another dimension, making convincing documents and digital identities easier to create.
In the latest episode of Logistics Business Conversations, Peter MacLeod is joined by Ewa Węgorkiewicz from Trans.eu to examine how the threat is evolving and what shippers, freight forwarders, carriers and digital freight platforms can do to protect themselves.
A central theme of the conversation is the need to move beyond one-off checks. Rather than relying solely on documents supplied when a carrier joins a platform, Ewa explains how continuous verification can identify unusual behaviour and changing patterns that could indicate a potential security risk. AI therefore cuts both ways: while criminals can use it to make fraud more sophisticated, logistics platforms can use the same technology to detect suspicious activity at scale.
The episode also explores Trans.eu’s partnership with TAPA (Transported Asset Protection Association) and the role independently audited security standards can play in building greater trust across European road freight. This includes Trans.eu’s Trusted Carrier Exchange, which brings together companies looking to move high-value freight with carriers holding the highest TAPA TSR security certification.
But stronger security is about more than preventing theft. As customers and insurers place greater emphasis on verified supply chains, security credentials could increasingly become a commercial advantage – giving trusted carriers access to higher-value freight, stronger customer relationships and potentially better rates.
With AI accelerating both the threat and the industry’s ability to respond, the conversation asks what secure freight networks will look like in the years ahead – and whether continuous, largely invisible verification could ultimately become a standard part of moving freight.
Listen to the full episode of Logistics Business Conversations using the podcast player below.
