Warehouse & Cargo Theft in Washington: The Law and How to Prevent It

How cargo gets stolen today

Verisk CargoNet estimated nearly $725 million in U.S. cargo theft losses in 2025 — a 60% increase over 2024 — with confirmed incidents up 18% and the average loss per theft over $270,000. CargoNet describes “strategic” theft as theft that always starts with deception: tricking someone in the supply chain into handing over a load.

In plain terms, that looks like a driver who shows up for a pickup with a carrier name that is almost right, a load that gets quietly re-routed after it is tendered, or a trailer full of product that leaves on paperwork nobody double-checked. The second most common pattern is the old one: full trailers left in a dark yard over a weekend.

Warehouse burglary and trespass

• Burglary. Entering or staying unlawfully in a building (other than a vehicle or a dwelling) with intent to commit a crime inside is second-degree burglary, a class B felony (RCW 9A.52.030).
• Trespass. Knowingly entering or staying on property without permission is criminal trespass — in a building, it is first-degree trespass, a gross misdemeanor (RCW 9A.52.070). See our trespassing guide.

Theft: how Washington grades it

• First degree — property worth more than $5,000: a class B felony (RCW 9A.56.030).
• Second degree — more than $750 up to $5,000: a class C felony (RCW 9A.56.040).
• Third degree — $750 or less: a gross misdemeanor. Theft of ten or more merchandise pallets or beverage crates is third-degree theft no matter what the pallets are worth (RCW 9A.56.050).
• Organized retail theft — thefts from a business with accomplices, or adding up to $750 or more over 180 days, are treated more seriously (RCW 9A.56.350).

Federal law: freight on the move

Stealing — or obtaining “by fraud or deception” — goods that are part of an interstate or foreign shipment is a federal crime. The law covers freight taken from trucks, trailers, intermodal containers, warehouses, container freight stations, vessels, wharves and terminals, and also covers anyone who knowingly buys or holds the stolen goods. The maximum sentence is 10 years, or 3 years if the value is under $1,000 (18 U.S.C. 659).

The shipment counts as interstate from origin to final destination — including temporary stops at a warehouse while waiting to be moved on — and the waybill or shipping document is evidence of where it came from and where it was going (18 U.S.C. 659). That is one more reason to keep paperwork and seal numbers straight.

Stopping theft at the gate

• Match the driver to the appointment. Photo ID, carrier name, truck and trailer numbers should all match what your shipping office booked.
• Confirm before release. For outbound loads, have the gate confirm with shipping before the trailer leaves — especially for high-value freight or a “last-minute” carrier change.
• Log every seal. Record seal numbers in and out and check that seals are intact. U.S. Customs’ guidance for CTPAT members calls for ISO 17712 high-security seals, a seal log, and checking that the seal number and location match the shipping documents.
• Secure the yard. Lock and light it, count trailers each round, and use kingpin or landing-gear locks on loaded trailers left over a weekend.
• Watch the calendar. Holidays and long weekends are when full trailers sit unattended. Add patrols then.
• Write it down. Times, names, plates and seal numbers are what police and insurers need first.

What a security officer can and can’t do

Washington security officers are private citizens with a license. They can control access to your property, refuse entry, ask people to leave, observe and report, and call police. They are not police and don’t have police powers. See what security officers can do in Washington.