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During the first week of June 2025, Overhaul enabled the recovery of stolen train cargo from two rail pilferages. The pilferages took place in the Atlanta, GA and Madison, AL areas. Here’s how we helped locate the stolen goods and safely return them.
The theft incident
Early on June 5th, the Overhaul GSOC received an alert that containers on a train car in Georgia were compromised. Working with the Norfolk Southern rail police, the LE Connect team coordinated a response. Sensors indicated the location where the breach had occurred, which helped facilitate a full recovery of the stolen product.
A day later, the same containers were hit again, this time in Madison, AL. The LE Connect team was able to provide rail police with the data necessary to locate the stolen product. Two suspects, both from the Atlanta area, were apprehended.
The coordination of thefts in two locations and the specific targeting of containers suggest that the incidents in Georgia and Alabama were connected. It is likely that the suspects in Georgia identified and relayed the target containers to their counterparts in Alabama.
Why thieves stole the train cargo
Trains can make a lucrative target for criminals for a variety of reasons. Cargo on rail is notoriously difficult to secure. It requires granular, real-time visibility to be able to identify stolen cargo before it arrives at its destination. Limited direct control and remote theft locations make recovery efforts extremely difficult.
Fortunately, this doesn’t mean that rail shippers are without options. There are ways to prevent rail cargo from being stolen, as well as ways to help in its recovery. In fact, Overhaul assisted in the recovery of $35 million in stolen cargo from a single rail line.
How to prevent rail theft
Shippers of targeted and high-value products over rail should employ as many visibility solutions as able. The ability to pinpoint the location and time of theft enables coordination and cooperation of the appropriate law enforcement entities. These can be the crucial pieces of data that allow law enforcement to be successful.
Over rail, there is far less control of the cargo when compared to over the road. For this reason, contextual intelligence, remote compliance monitoring, and real-time visibility are all must-haves. Additionally, an immediate escalation process with a path to effective law enforcement engagement is critical to recognizing and recovering stolen cargo.
Overhaul is able to help with all of these tasks and more. Our multimodal visibility and risk monitoring solutions enable support via rail, road, air, and sea. Plus, our law enforcement connections mean quick responses to theft. And in worst case scenarios, our optional insurance offerings help recoup losses.
Supply chain threats are constantly evolving. Don’t let criminals catch you unprepared. Reach out to us today and learn how we can make stolen train cargo a thing of the past.
