Report: 48% of Fleets Want Asset Tracking Amid Cargo Theft Surge

Asset tracking software is the most popular fleet technology today, according to new data from Tech.co’s monthly industry surveys.

In December 2025, 48% of fleet professionals said their fleet was looking to adopt asset tracking systems — a big jump up from the 27% that said the same just one month earlier.

Why the sudden shift? It’s likely due to rising risks of cargo theft. Asset tracking software provides a centralized, easy-to-manage list of assets, and alerts that can help locate them if they’re stolen.

Asset Tracking Interest Surges to 48% From 27%

The data comes from Tech.co’s regular survey of more than 260 professionals in the US shipping and transport sector, aimed at getting a snapshot of their thoughts on challenges and priorities in the industry.

Our poll data for December 2025 is just in, and practically half of them are aiming to adopt asset tracking systems, with 48% saying they are looking to get the technology.

That’s the highest that interest has ever gotten across 2025, according the monthly surveys that we first started in April of that year. It suggests asset tracking is solving major hurdles for logistics professionals.

Cargo Thefts Are on the Rise

Cargo theft has been an increasing concern in the logistics industry for some time. According to one assessment from Verisk CargoNet, this type of theft has already risen a massive 82% between 2020 and 2024.

More recently, cargo theft has surged at the end of the last year, due to the “closures, reduced staffing, and increased freight dwell time” during the holiday season.

GPS-powered asset tracking systems can combat the threat, with trackers for recovery in the case of a theft of tractors and trailers themselves, as well as alerts that can catch asset misappropriation by flagging unauthorized movement or geofencing violations for any equipment that has an asset tag on it.

Logistics Professionals Take a Proactive Approach

Given this information, perhaps it’s no surprise that nearly half of the hundreds of fleet professionals we surveyed were considering asset tracking.

This shift in technology is just one part of a broader trend. Amid a long downturn in freight volumes, fleets are increasingly interested in proactive strategies in order to stay in the black.

Early in 2025, Tech.co’s industry surveys tracked a rising interest in managing finances. Now, that interest is dropping (down month-over-month from 20% to 15% in December), replaced by a focus on adopting technology (up month-over-month from 16% to 18% in December).

This might look like redoubling efforts to maintain federal compliance standards and upgrading or replacing aging vehicle components. It definitely includes investing in asset tracking.