House Passes CORCA Bill as Cargo Theft Pressure Builds
The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act now heads to the Senate, with trucking groups pushing for a coordinated federal response to cargo theft.
Freight Crime Bill Moves to the Senate
The U.S. House has passed the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, moving the cargo-theft and organized-retail-crime bill to the Senate. FleetOwner reported May 14 that the proposal is designed to create a more coordinated federal response to theft networks that cross state and national borders.
The bill would give the U.S. Department of Homeland Security a lead role in aligning federal, state, and local enforcement. For carriers and private fleets, the practical target is better coordination against theft patterns that rarely stay inside one jurisdiction.
Why Trucking Groups Are Pushing
Industry groups are backing the bill because cargo theft has become more organized and more technical. FleetOwner cited American Transportation Research Institute estimates that cargo theft costs trucking roughly $18 million per day, while CargoNet data shows strategic theft has increased 1,500% since 2021.
American Trucking Associations CEO Chris Spear said the bill would give the industry and law enforcement better tools to fight organized cargo-theft rings. The Truckload Carriers Association also highlighted the need for stronger enforcement coordination.
What It Means for Fleets
The bill is not a substitute for yard security, route planning, driver training, or insurance discipline. But it would give law enforcement a clearer structure for connecting cases across regions and agencies.
For fleet operators, the signal is that cargo theft has moved from a loss-prevention issue to a national supply-chain security concern. That makes incident reporting, facility access controls, and shipment visibility more important, not less.
