Spear Voices Support for Cargo Theft Bill
Lawmakers Launch Congressional Trucking Caucus to Lend Support to Industry
Key Takeaways:
- ATA President Chris Spear urged Congress at a Dec. 17 House hearing to pass the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act targeting sophisticated cargo theft.
- ATRI says cargo theft costs the industry $18 million daily and $1.83 billion to $6.56 billion annually as electronic schemes move freight overseas.
- The bill awaits approval, while senators introduced the Cargo Security Innovation Act and House lawmakers launched a bipartisan Trucking Caucus to coordinate policy responses.
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WASHINGTON — American Trucking Associations President Chris Spear called on congressional policymakers to approve legislation aimed at tackling sophisticated cargo theft operations that target trucking.
Spear voiced support during a Dec. 17 hearing on Capitol Hill for the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, a bipartisan measure that would establish a multi-agency division tasked with fighting sprawling global theft rings.
“State and local governments do not have that capability to attack transnational organizations,” Spear told the House Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee. “That’s a federal responsibility. It’s the missing piece of the puzzle.” Spear added that effectively addressing the problem will require “multiple states being part of a federal fabric to be able to understand where that threat is coming from and how to prevent it.”
Specifically, the pending legislation would establish an Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center at the Department of ýland Security. The measure awaits congressional approval.
Spear emphasized that cargo theft has rapidly evolved, noting that vast volumes of freight are being stolen electronically and redirected. “A lot of it is being shipped out of the country,” he said. “This goes way beyond hit-and-run type of theft — straight theft — that we’ve seen in over 100 years with trucks. This is a very complex, digitally driven renaissance.”
Grassley. (Eric Lee/Bloomberg)
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is a lead sponsor of the bill. “Retail crime has cost Iowa billions, and it’s even worse across the nation,” Grassley said earlier this year. “Organized theft rings deploy innovative tactics to pilfer goods, and it’s causing financial harm to businesses, putting employees and consumers at risk and funding transnational criminal organizations throughout the world. It’s time for the law to catch up and prevent criminals from exploiting the internet and online marketplaces.”
In the upper chamber, this month Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) introduced the Cargo Security Innovation Act, which would enhance agencies’ access to state-of-the-art technology for protecting against cargo theft. Blackburn said Dec. 4: “Cargo theft is a pressing issue impacting businesses in Tennessee, and we need to shut down these organized crime groups that steal essential goods from Tennesseans to traffic drugs and weapons.”
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According to an American Transportation Research Institute report, cargo theft costs the freight industry $18 million each day in direct and indirect losses, with 74% of stolen goods disappearing forever. ATRI’s report also determined cargo theft costs motor carriers between $1.83 billion and $6.56 billion annually in direct and indirect costs.
The House hearing took place soon after a group of House lawmakers launched the bipartisan Congressional Trucking Caucus. Its leadership includes Reps. Shomari Figures (D-Ala.), Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.), Pat Harrigan (R-N.C.), Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.), Mary Miller (R-Ill.) and Dave Taylor (R-Ohio).
“Generating nearly $906 billion in revenue in 2024, America’s trucking industry powers our economy by creating 8.4 million jobs and securing American supply chains,” Taylor said Dec. 16. “After several tragic accidents occurred recently because of [commercial driver license] drivers who could not read the road signs, it’s evident that change is needed to protect American lives on the road. I’m proud to launch the Congressional Trucking Caucus alongside my colleagues to create a forum for discussing policy solutions to keep all drivers safe on American roads, support hardworking truck drivers, and ensure the accessibility of reliable transportation across our nation.”
Figures added, “America literally runs on the wheels of our truckers. I am proud to join this bipartisan effort to prioritize this industry that is the lifeline of our country.”
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Industry groups, such as Truckload Carriers Association and ATA, touted the new caucus specific to industry affairs. “America’s trucking industry is essential to our economy, our national security, and our way of life. Over 8.4 million hardworking Americans deliver more than three-quarters of the nation’s freight, and 80% of communities rely solely on trucks to receive their goods,” ATA Senior Vice President of Legislative Affairs Henry Hanscom said in a statement accompanying the announcement of the caucus’ launch. “The American Trucking Associations commends Reps. Taylor and Figures for forming this bipartisan caucus that will prioritize issues important to truckers. We look forward to working with them to expand the Congressional Trucking Caucus’ size and influence on Capitol Hill and to advance legislation that will help keep our industry strong for the long haul.”
