Cargo thefts numbered nearly 900 in 2010—the highest total on record and an increase of 4.1 percent compared to 2009, said FreightWatch, a provider of logistics for the supply chain.

The top states for cargo theft are California, New Jersey, Florida and Texas, but all of those states except for New Jersey experienced a decline in thefts for the year.

For New Jersey, cargo theft incidents increased 142 percent to 121 in 2010 compared to 50 in 2009.

Lt. Mike McDonnell with the New Jersey State Police cargo theft unit could not be reached for comment. A person with the unit, who said cargo theft in the state was definitely on the rise, said Lt. McDonnell was out executing a warrant related to cargo theft.

The unit has been busy, according to reports. On Jan. 17 five people were arrested after trying to steal more than $500,000 worth of perfume from a factory. A month prior a man was convicted for organizing a cargo theft ring that stole tractor trailers from trucking yards in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Mr. Spear said a majority of thefts in the U.S. occur over the weekend while trucks are parked. Many of the occurrences happen a couple hundred miles from where the trucks begin their journey. Mr. Spear repeated a mantra in the industry: "Cargo at rest is cargo at risk."

The thefts produce a great number of difficulties for the victims, Mr. Spear added. Manufacturers may still hold the warranty of the product and their name remains on an item like food, although it may be resold under unsafe conditions. Then there are thefts of items considered proprietary material, such as first-to-market electronics.

The rise of thefts of food and drinks may be due to convenience, since there are many more trucks delivering these goods than there are transporting electronics, for example, Mr. Spear said. Twenty-one percent of incidents were food and drink-related, followed by electronics (19 percent), clothing and shoes (11 percent), and building materials (10 percent).

"The key is to understand all the data available to establish loss controls," Mr. Spear said. "Understand how risks are developed. Where is the cargo going? What is being transported? When?"

Mr. Spear, also the chairman of the Transportation Asset Protection Association (TAPA), said prevention begins with cooperation among the industry and law enforcement.

"We are all in this together," he said. "This type of crime affects a lot of people."

TAPA is working on a set of standards for the trucking industry to improve theft prevention measures, Mr. Spear added.

The supply chain industry experienced 2.5 losses per day. Of the recorded theft incidents, 81 percent were full truckload or container thefts, said FreightWatch.