Curated News
By: NewsRamp Editorial Staff
September 17, 2025
ITS Logistics Index Reveals Peak Season Shift, Rising Fraud Risks
TLDR
- Shippers can gain advantage by securing reliable carriers with fraud prevention to protect inventory from rising theft during peak season congestion.
- ITS Logistics reports August import volumes dipped 3.9% from July, with front-loaded freight moving inland causing rail congestion and requiring additional drayage capacity.
- Strengthening supply chain security through trusted partnerships reduces cargo theft, ensuring goods reach communities safely during the critical holiday season.
- Cargo theft surged 40% on railways in 2024, costing over $100 million, highlighting the need for innovative security strategies in logistics.
Impact - Why it Matters
This news matters because it highlights critical shifts in supply chain dynamics that directly affect consumers and businesses. The decline in peak season imports combined with rising cargo theft and regulatory uncertainty could lead to product shortages, delayed deliveries, and higher prices during the holiday shopping season. For businesses, these challenges mean increased logistics costs, potential inventory losses, and the need for enhanced security measures. The regulatory changes and tariff rulings create additional complexity for companies managing global supply chains, potentially impacting everything from manufacturing costs to retail pricing strategies.
Summary
ITS Logistics has released its September US Port/Rail Ramp Freight Index, revealing that import volumes dipped slightly in August, indicating the traditional peak season surge won't materialize for 2025. The index shows front-loaded freight is now moving inland, causing congestion in key rail lanes from coastal areas and boosting domestic truckload activity in regions like Southern California, Dallas, Chicago, and Atlanta. U.S. container imports for August totaled 2,519,722 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), up 1.6% year-over-year but down 3.9% from July's near-record highs.
The National Retail Federation projects a 5.6% decrease in total inbound volume for 2025, potentially resulting in a stark 17.5% drop in the final months of the year. This decline occurs amid regulatory turmoil, including the end of the de minimis exemption that now subjects 92% of U.S. cargo shipments to new duties, causing nearly a dozen countries and shipping companies to temporarily pause shipments to the U.S. Additionally, a U.S. appeals court ruled most tariffs issued by President Donald Trump illegal, with shippers awaiting the Supreme Court's final decision expected in November.
Freight already in the domestic market faces challenges from congestion and record-high organized cargo theft and freight fraud. Theft on railways surged 40% in 2024, costing Class I rail operators over $100 million, while truck-based fraud incidents increased 13% in Q2 2025 due to organized crime targeting consumer goods. ITS Logistics advises shippers to partner with carriers offering real-time visibility and rigorous fraud-prevention standards to protect inventory during the hectic holiday season.
Source Statement
This curated news summary relied on content disributed by citybiz. Read the original source here, ITS Logistics Index Reveals Peak Season Shift, Rising Fraud Risks
