Young Op-Ed: Americans need to be protected from cargo theft

WASHINGTON — The following op-ed by U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) was published by the Washington Times on May 19, 2026. By Todd Young In the fall of 2024, PFL Logistics — a third-party logistics company in Evansville , Ind. — lost a $60,000 shipment that was stolen after a trusted carrier was compromised. As PFL worked to figure out what happened during the delivery process, it was forced to cover the costs of the missing shipment, a massive blow to this Hoosier company. A year later, a Grant County, Indiana-based bitcoin company reported that its semi-trailer was hijacked with 1,000 bitcoin machines in the cab. The cost of this technology was estimated at roughly $700,000. Unfortunately, these aren’t one-off incidents. They are part of a larger issue: the record-breaking rise in cargo theft across the United States . For many companies, especially small businesses, cargo theft is a devastating loss that can often force higher prices, delayed deliveries and supply shortages. As a result, American families end up footing the bill or dealing with the impact of these crimes. But cargo theft is more than just an incredibly costly; it is also a threat to our national and economic security. Cargo theft is driven by both domestic and international groups, and these criminals are using increasingly sophisticated, fraudulent tactics such as fictitious pickups, double brokering scams and hostage loads to steal shipments without detection. When a shipment is stolen, supply chains critical to our economy are disrupted. Simultaneously, criminals use cargo theft to fund other illegal activities like drug smuggling and human trafficking. Over the last two years, cargo theft rose by nearly 60%, demonstrating that while authorities are aware of this growing threat, not enough is being done to identify and prevent these crimes from happening. Currently, inconsistent standards across states and localities lead to a lack of enforcement, misclassification of crimes, and chronic underreporting of cargo theft . Additionally, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which regulates motor carriers, lacks adequate tools to identify fraudulent actors or remove them from its system. The agency also does not possess the statutory authority to assess civil penalties for violations of its safety or commercial regulations. A recent audit by the Department of Transportation revealed widespread negligence by states that were illegally issuing non-domiciled Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs) and uncovered glaring compliance failures in several states, including Illinois, California and New York. These failures have opened the door for unauthorized drivers to transport domestic cargo, creating additional vulnerabilities. As Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, Freight, Pipelines and Safety, I believe that Americans deserve better than this. Our citizens deserve safe and reliable supply chains and confidence that our nation will not allow large-scale crime like cargo theft to continue to go unchecked. To address this challenge, I recently introduced the SAFER Transport Act. This comprehensive legislation would strengthen federal efforts to prevent, detect and punish cargo theft across America’s transportation network. It would also coordinate interagency and government collaboration, eliminate duplicate carrier certifications that allow widespread fraud, close loopholes exploited by foreign dispatch agencies and stiffen penalties for fraudulent certifications. Additionally, my bill would ensure only authorized drivers transport domestic cargo by strengthening CDL issuance requirements, mandating monthly state reporting on CDLs and enhancing oversight and accountability of CDL training providers. These are important steps to take to strengthen our transportation infrastructure, combat these crimes that are hurting consumers and businesses, and ensure our roads are safe for all Americans. I will continue to work with my colleagues on the Senate Commerce Committee to move this legislation through the Senate. Congress should work together to stop the ongoing rise in cargo theft and protect American citizens and businesses. • Sen. Todd Young is the senior U.S. Senator from Indiana. He serves on the U.S. Senate Committees on Finance; Commerce, Science & Transportation; Small Business and Entrepreneurship; and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.