By: Nate Kaplan, State Director
America’s supply chain delivers nearly 59 tons of freight for each American every year, much of it moving in intermodal containers from ship to train to truck and carrying everything from electronics to food. But shipments have become a growing target of organized retail theft, with Class I railroads reporting a 40% jump in thefts from 2023 to 2024 and more than 65,000 incidents last year.
These are no longer crimes of opportunity. Theft rings are highly organized, using sophisticated tactics and often tied to transnational networks. Cargo theft losses are huge—with an estimated half a billion dollars stolen in 2024 alone—while arrests remain rare and repeat offenses are common.
The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA), introduced with bipartisan support, aims to strengthen the federal response by improving cross-agency coordination, expanding data sharing, and giving law enforcement stronger legal tools. With backing from railroads, retailers, and ports, the legislation underscores the need to secure the entire supply chain.
For freight railroads, which move 40% of the nation’s intercity freight, CORCA is a critical step to reduce theft, protect network integrity, and ensure the efficient movement of goods that Americans depend on every day.
Help secure our supply chain by sharing your CORCA support with policymakers via email at GoRail’s Action Center here.
