Freight Fraud in 2025 and What Highway Just Launched for Carriers

In this week’s episode of The FreightCaviar Podcast, we sat down with Michael Caney, Chief Commercial Officer at Highway. He shares his industry predictions for 2025, discusses strategies to combat freight fraud, and unveils Highway’s newest product.

A year ago, we spoke with Michael about cybersecurity. Today, he's back to give us an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at one of the industry's pressing issues: freight fraud– and the strategies to fight it. 

The Hidden Nature of Freight Fraud

According to Michael, it’s impossible to quantify the problem because of how hidden it still is. In fact, some prefer to keep it that way. 

“I’ve heard it’s up to hundreds of millions of dollars in losses but that’s anecdotal; no one reports it. There are a lot of entities that don’t want you to know how bad it is.”

New Tactics in Freight Fraud

When asked about new tactics in freight fraud, Michael explains that it’s less about tactics and more about efficiency. 

“There are only so many ways you can steal freight, and it starts in the communication channels–  ‘How can I brute force my way into learning about a load or learning about a network via e-mail or phone.’"

Protecting Your Business Against Freight Fraud

So how can you protect your business against freight fraud? Focus on digital experience. 

“If you’re a broker the place you have to be vigilant about is your inbox and around your phone system. Ask yourself– should a carrier be doing certain things in your digital experience? Should they be searching for your refrigerated freight? Should a carrier with a physical footprint in the southeast be searching for loads in California? No, they shouldn’t.”

The Capitols of Cargo Theft

When asked about top regions and countries linked to cargo theft, Michael mentions Eastern Europe and Pakistan. But it’s not so much about the country of origin as it is about transparency.

“I think it’s more about understanding that there’s a problem we’re dealing with and whether or not you're willing to be transparent about how you operate. There are folks with offices in Europe that are more transparent than some carriers in North America.”

Highway’s Newest Product

He also introduced something they'd been working on for a while.

“If you’re a smaller freight broker and you want to appear valid you’ve got to come to Highway and claim your identity. One of the things that we’re interested in is ownership and FMCSA changes. It helps us further shrink the world of good people that want to work together.” 

Advice on Fighting Back Against Fraud

Michael also shared a piece of advice that he thinks all brokers and carriers should follow to fight back against freight fraud. 

“I think we could do a better job of raising our collective business acumen and just treating each other like human beings.”

Companies like Highway play a big role in preventing freight fraud. But the only way that we can fight back against it is to work together. 

Listen to the entire interview on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, or watch it on our  YouTube Channel.