Cargo theft is evolving faster than most supply chains can keep up. Here’s how new visibility intelligence and proactive monitoring are helping shippers stay one step ahead of sophisticated, tech-driven theft.
There’s no shortage of unbelievable stories that start with tequila, but few end in a million-dollar highway heist.
Last fall, two semitrucks carrying more than 24,000 bottles of Santo Tequila, the brand founded by celebrity chef Guy Fieri and rock legend Sammy Hagar, vanished en route from Texas to Pennsylvania. The trucks didn’t crash or disappear in a storm. They were stolen, through a sophisticated cyber scheme that spoofed GPS signals, forged digital documents, and tricked legitimate drivers into delivering the cargo straight into thieves’ hands.
For many, it’s an entertaining headline. But for shippers, the tequila heist was an alarming sign of how cargo theft has evolved, and how vulnerable even well-managed supply chains can be.
A new kind of supply chain crime
Cargo theft is no longer limited to stolen trucks or cut locks in parking lots. Increasingly, it’s orchestrated online, by global networks that use data manipulation, identity fraud, and spoofing to hijack shipments mid-transit.
In the past four years, thefts like these have surged more than 1,200%, with organized groups operating across dozens of countries. In the U.S. alone, reported cargo theft incidents rose 27% in 2024 to over 3,600 cases, totaling roughly $455 million in losses.
Hotspots like California, Texas, and major border zones have seen double-digit increases, often targeting high-value goods, from electronics and medical devices to, yes, premium tequila.
This spike isn’t just about opportunity; it’s about visibility gaps. Many thefts now exploit digital blind spots: fake carrier identities, spoofing GPS data, and delayed responses to route deviations or idle times.
The visibility gap behind every heist
If you peel back the details of the Santo Spirits case, one thing becomes clear: the theft didn’t happen in a dark alley; it happened inside the network.
The load was digitally reassigned through a web of fake carriers in a “double brokering” scam. GPS signals were spoofed to show the trucks moving on schedule, even though they’d been redirected hundreds of miles away. By the time anyone realized what was happening, the tequila was long gone.
That’s the risk in modern logistics. Without real-time visibility, teams can’t tell the difference between a delay and a diversion. But visibility alone isn’t enough. Establishing trust with carriers who move your freight is non-negotiable; and that trust must be backed by data, not gut feelings.
That’s why project44 pairs its real-time visibility and in-transit alerts and exceptions with a Preferred Carrier Network, giving you access to a trusted list of certified, high-performing carriers in our connected network of over 250,000 carriers. From that list, shippers can further evaluate carriers on cost, on-time performance, reliability, and emissions. Together, these capabilities create a strong line of defense against identity fraud, double brokering, and digital theft, so every load is both visible and verifiable.
Out-of-network bookings through load boards or the spot market break the chain of trust, creating blind spots and risk. Procurement analytics mitigate that risk by identifying high spot exposure and recommending better-performing carriers aligned to your needs.
From visibility to protection: Evolving Risk Monitoring requirements
At project44, we know that visibility is the backbone of supply chain security, but visibility alone isn’t enough. As theft becomes more sophisticated, the industry needs proactive, intelligence-driven risk detection that can identify threats before they escalate.
That’s why we’re evolving to help shippers stay ahead of these challenges, expanding beyond location tracking to detect early warning signs like route deviation, unexpected idling, and GPS spoofing in real time, while combining real-time visibility with performance-based carrier insights to strengthen protection against both physical and digital theft.
1. Zone Monitoring
Cargo theft isn’t random; it’s clustered in specific hot zones. Zone Monitoring lets shippers define and monitor high-risk areas using geofences through clear, contextual alerts (including location, timestamp, and recommended next actions) when a vehicle approaches, enters, or dwells in a theft-prone region. These alerts will enable faster response, such as driver check-ins, rerouting, or confirming secure stops.
2. Route Deviation Detection
One of the first red flags in a theft event is route deviation. By continuously comparing a truck’s live trajectory against its planned route, deviations that exceed configured thresholds are flagged. Detecting this early and in real-time will help control tower teams act immediately to prevent theft and maintain delivery performance.
3. Idle Detection
Extended idling can signal more than just a lunch break. Idle detection identifies unscheduled stops or unusual dwell times, especially in risky zones.
By combining location data with sensor inputs (like door status or engine activity), distinguishing between planned downtime and potential tampering will surface explainable exceptions that keep response teams informed and agile.
4. Spoofing Detection
GPS spoofing, the digital camouflage used in the tequila heist, is one of the fastest-growing threats in the industry. We’re developing new methods to detect manipulated or inconsistent location signals, helping shippers validate GPS authenticity and maintain trust in the data driving their decisions.
Why it matters
For shippers and logistics leaders, every theft is a disruption to service, trust, and customer confidence. High-value or time-sensitive goods can’t afford delayed reactions or fragmented data.
By integrating real-time visibility with proactive risk intelligence, project44 is turning visibility into actionable security. Control tower and security teams gain the ability to see, understand, and respond to anomalies the moment they occur, not hours later.
With visibility and risk insights, and performance-based carrier data unified in one platform, shippers can take a truly preventive stance, spotting risks earlier, verifying trusted carriers, and resolving issues before they escalate.
The result is fewer theft incidents, stronger SLA performance, and a more resilient supply chain.
A smarter way forward
Guy Fieri may have gotten part of his tequila back, but not every business is so lucky. And as theft tactics grow more sophisticated, reactive monitoring simply won’t keep up.
The lesson from the Santo Spirits case isn’t about celebrity misfortune; it’s about the urgent need for intelligence-driven protection at every mile of the journey.
By enhancing the way our customers monitor risk, project44 is redefining what supply chain visibility means: not just knowing where your shipment is but knowing when it’s at risk and being ready to act and resolve.
