How Criminals Exploit Gaps in Freight and Haulage Systems

Freight theft in the UK hit a new high in 2024, with criminals stealing US$111m worth of goods, up from US$68m in 2023.

That’s according to data from the British Standards Institution (BSI) and the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS), which also reveal how organised criminal gangs use the industry’s own structures against it.

At European level, Europol and the European Secure Truck Parking Organisation (ESPORG) estimate theft-from-road-freight incidents now exceed €8.2bn (US$9.4bn) annually. The tactics are familiar: identity theft, fraudulent haulage companies and a lack of verification across fragmented supply chains.

This is the exact scenario Jim Bureau, CEO of supply chain software firm Loftware, describes. Speaking to Supply Chain Digital, he says: "Crimes like this expose a basic problem: too many parts of the supply chain still rely on disconnected systems and trust alone.

"When a load leaves the factory, there isn’t always a clear, real-time record of who’s collecting it or where it’s going. That’s exactly the gap these gangs are exploiting."

Jim says cloud-based identification and partner networks can close those gaps: "When the products, the vehicle and the driver are all verified and tied together in the cloud, everyone involved sees the same live information. A fake haulier can’t just turn up, collect a load and disappear – the system flags the mismatch immediately.

"The tools exist to make this the norm. What we need now is for the industry to use them consistently, so criminals can’t take advantage of the cracks between supply chain stakeholders."

Gangs exploit weak points in haulage

An investigation by the BBC has uncovered how these criminals are adapting.

In one case, the BBC describes a group buying up haulage firms using the identity of a dead man. One such company is then subcontracted by a UK transport firm, entirely unaware of the deception. A lorry is loaded at a manufacturer’s site and vanishes with the goods.

This method is not isolated. Criminals target lorries at every stage: raiding parked trailers, cutting through depots and even breaking in while vehicles are stuck in traffic. Drivers report waking up to find the curtain sides of their vehicles slashed. High-value items such as designer clothes, alcohol and electronics are the main targets.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) says freight crime is getting "more sophisticated, more organised" and is calling for deeper collaboration between police forces and the logistics industry.

NaVCIS also confirms that criminals are posing as legitimate hauliers and that fraud is rising. Europol has seen similar in Europe, where organised crime groups acquire struggling transport companies, collect multiple cargoes and disappear.

This creates serious risk exposure for manufacturers, retailers and logistics providers.

Supply chains crack under subcontracting pressure

Retail and e-commerce supply chains often rely heavily on subcontracting. This makes them more vulnerable to fraud, especially when digital platforms only check static documents like licences or bank accounts. Criminals exploit this by presenting false paperwork or by infiltrating digital booking systems.

According to Allianz Commercial, insurance claims related to freight fraud jump more than 50% between 2022 and 2024. Smaller firms may now face being “uninsurable” or will pay higher premiums, while supply chain executives at larger firms must tighten third-party risk checks.

A single fraudulent subcontractor can cause delivery failures worth millions. When shipments of consumer goods or pharmaceuticals vanish, manufacturers are often liable for missed service level agreements (SLAs), creating financial strain and brand damage.

Securing freight: steps for logistics leaders

Criminal gangs manipulate both corporate and technological vulnerabilities. They register fake haulage firms using the identities of deceased individuals, exploiting weak checks at Companies House. Digital logistics platforms also fall short, accepting scanned documents without validating driver credentials in real time.

Physical security is also lacking. BSI and ESPORG estimate that out of 400,000 UK lorry parking spaces, just 7,000 are classified as “secure”. This leaves drivers exposed, especially overnight.

To counter this, logistics leaders are urged to:

• Require end-to-end carrier verification using third-party services like FreightVerify, TruckPass or blockchain-based systems
• Enforce zero-trust subcontracting with regular revalidation of carriers
• Use geofencing and AI to track unexpected route changes or unknown subcontractors
• Share intelligence with NaVCIS and Operation Opal to receive alerts
• Install smart seals, sensors and cameras to detect tampering or unplanned stops

MP Rachel Taylor, who represents North Warwickshire and Bedworth where one in five people work in logistics, says the BBC’s findings confirm what her constituents are reporting: "That increasingly sophisticated crime gangs are having a huge impact on their businesses."

She says the issue "has gone unrecognised for too long" and calls for a "joined up national policing strategy and more resources to tackle this issue, so we can put these organised criminals behind bars where they belong". 

As freight theft figures climb, the message from every corner of the industry is clear: the tools to fix the problem exist. The next step is using them, before more cargo disappears.