The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA) on May 12, 2026, by a vote of 348 to 60. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Dave Joyce of Ohio with Rep. Susie Lee of Nevada among its co-leads, sets up a federal response to organized retail crime and cargo theft. It now goes to the Senate, where Sens. Chuck Grassley and Catherine Cortez Masto lead the companion bill.
According to Rep. Joyce’s office, the bill would create an Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center inside Homeland Security Investigations at the Department of Homeland Security. It would also improve coordination among federal, state and local law enforcement, expand information sharing with retailers and transportation providers, let prosecutors add together the value of thefts committed as part of an organized scheme, and clarify that gift cards can be treated as monetary instruments in money-laundering investigations. The center would report on national trends in retail and supply chain crime.
The American Trucking Associations, which pushed for the bill, cited an American Transportation Research Institute estimate that $18 million in cargo is stolen from the trucking industry every day, and CargoNet data showing that strategic theft has surged 1,500% since 2021. “CORCA will give our industry and law enforcement the tools we need to fight back against highly organized, technologically advanced cargo theft rings,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. Rep. Joyce’s office lists more than 30 supporting organizations, among them the Port of Los Angeles.
What it means for shippers
- Nothing changes at the dock yet. The bill still needs Senate passage and the president’s signature. Until then, protecting freight remains a matter of your own procedures and your carrier’s.
- Verify every pickup. Before releasing freight, match the carrier name, driver identification and truck and trailer numbers against what your carrier or broker sent you. If something does not match, call the dispatcher on a number you already have on file.
- Keep load details close. Pickup numbers, commodity descriptions and values are what organized thieves need. Limit who receives them and how they are shared.
- Review cargo coverage. Ask your carrier or broker what cargo liability applies to your shipment, and check with your insurer whether high-value freight needs additional coverage.
- Reduce handoffs on high-value loads. A dedicated truck that runs direct, without terminal transfers, gives a shipment fewer points where it can go missing.
Go Trucking Services offers LTL and FTL land transport, along with hot shot and exclusive-use trucks. See land transport and all services, or request a quote on the home page.
Sources:
- Office of Rep. Dave Joyce: Joyce Organized Retail Crime Bill Passes House (May 12, 2026)
- American Trucking Associations: Cargo Theft Bill Championed by ATA Passes House (May 12, 2026)
- NACS: House Passes Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (May 14, 2026)
Image: Downtowngal, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).
