Cargo theft is getting smarter, quieter, and easier to mistake for normal business and that’s exactly why it’s so dangerous. A compromised email, a clean-looking bill of lading, a driver who seems legitimate, and suddenly a real shipment is delivered straight to a criminal with everyone thinking they did their job. That’s the modern reality of supply chain security, and it’s hitting freight brokers and shippers especially hard.

We sit down with Scott Cornell, Chief Risk Officer at SPG Cargo and Logistics and one of the leading cargo theft and transportation crime specialists in the United States. Scott breaks down the difference between straight cargo theft (physical theft, pilferage, stolen trailers) and strategic cargo theft (deception-first schemes like double brokering, MC number fraud, identity theft, and email compromise). We dig into why food and beverage is such a popular target, how criminals “launder” freight through paperwork, and why a broken seal can turn a recovery into a total loss.

We also zoom out to the systems problem: cargo theft is often misclassified in law enforcement data, which means the true scale is hard to measure. Scott explains why the CORCA legislation matters, what better reporting could unlock for investigators and prosecutors, and how organizations like TAPA Americas raise the bar with security standards, intelligence sharing, and summits that bring industry and law enforcement into the same room. If you’re responsible for freight, compliance, risk, or operations, you’ll leave with clearer red flags, better questions to ask at pickup, and a stronger sense of what “respond immediately” really means.

Subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave a review so more people in the supply chain can spot the scam before the load disappears.

Send us Fan Mail

C-Suite Perspectives
Elevate how you lead with insight from today’s most influential executives.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to By Land and By Sea powered by The Maritime Professor®! If you enjoyed today’s episode, be sure to subscribe ⭐ and leave a review 📝 - it really helps others find the show.

📚 Want to go deeper? Check out our live webinars, on-demand e-courses, and our Just-in-Time Learning™ sessions -- short, plain-language lessons (30 minutes or less) built for supply chain pros who need quick clarity.

🚢 Looking for something tailored? We also provide custom corporate trainings designed to meet your team’s needs.

⚓ Learn more and explore past episodes at: www.TheMaritimeProfessor.com/podcast