Cargo Theft Is Surging Around the Port. Industrial Properties Are on the Route.
Cargo theft in the region is climbing fast, and much of the exposure sits at the property level.
What Is Happening
Cargo theft losses across the United States and Canada reached nearly $725 million in 2025, a 60 percent increase from the prior year, according to Verisk CargoNet’s annual analysis. The average value per theft rose 36 percent to roughly $274,000. The sharpest regional shift happened here. New Jersey theft incidents rose 50 percent for the year, and Pennsylvania rose 24 percent. In the third quarter alone, CargoNet reported New Jersey incidents up 110 percent year over year and described the New York metro area as an emerging hotspot, citing the region’s dense logistics network and proximity to major consumer markets.
Why It Matters
Cargo theft is usually framed as a carrier and shipper problem. However, much of it happens at industrial properties: trailers staged in yards over weekends, loads parked at unsecured docks, and drop lots with broken gates or poor lighting. Organized groups also rely on deception, impersonating carriers and redirecting loads, which means a theft can occur without a fence ever being cut.
For owners, the consequences show up in familiar places. Tenants whose freight is stolen escalate quickly, and insurance carriers ask harder questions about site security at renewal. Properties that develop a reputation as easy targets tend to attract repeat activity.
Where Property Management Comes In
Site security is an operating discipline. Gates, fencing, lighting, cameras, and access procedures only protect the property if someone is inspecting them, documenting failures, and pushing vendors to complete repairs. The same applies to trailer parking rules, after-hours access, and incident reporting. When those routines slip, exposure builds quietly.
What Owners Should Check
- Inspect gates, fencing, and perimeter lighting on a regular schedule, and repair failures quickly.
- Confirm camera coverage actually works and includes yard areas, dock doors, and entry points.
- Review after-hours access procedures with tenants, including who is authorized to enter and remove trailers.
- Enforce lease rules on trailer storage and unauthorized parking before exceptions become the standard.
- Document security incidents in writing, including near misses, and share patterns with tenants and ownership.
- Ask tenants handling high-value or food-grade freight what their carriers require from the site.
What This Means for NJ and PA Industrial Owners
The region’s advantage is also its exposure. Proximity to the port and to major consumer markets keeps industrial demand strong, and it puts local buildings in the middle of theft activity. CargoNet noted that meat and seafood shipments were heavily targeted in the Northeast, especially New Jersey, which is relevant to any owner with cold storage or food distribution tenants. Older multi-tenant parks with shared truck circulation and aging fences deserve particular attention.
Conclusion
Organized cargo theft will keep evolving. The variable owners control is whether the property gives it an easy opening. A working gate and a documented security routine are inexpensive compared to a tenant’s stolen load and the conversations that follow.
Greek Management manages industrial assets with an owner’s mindset: protect the building, support the tenant, control the details, and stay ahead of avoidable problems.
For a conversation, contact Jenna Kronyak at Jenna.Kronyak@greekrep.com or 732-257-7353.