Wabash expands TrailerHawk.AI cargo security platform

Wabash debuted its next-generation cargo assurance solution at the recent Manifest 2026 in Las Vegas. This patent pending integrated solution pairs a digitally connected cargo door and intelligent locking system with the TrailerHawk.AI technology platform to link physical access control with real-time visibility and actionable assurance events to help prevent cargo theft.

Cargo theft remains a growing challenge across the U.S. supply chain. New research from the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) released in October 2025 estimates that cargo theft costs the industry as much as $6.6 billion annually. The Wabash solution is designed to help shippers, carriers and 3PLs transition from after-the-fact loss response to earlier detection and clearer accountability by providing verified access, exception alerts and an end-to-end record of custody.

“The industry can no longer afford to rely on disconnected cargo security tools that lack true access control and don’t verify who is touching the freight,” said Brett Suma, managing director at Wabash. “Wabash is taking a new approach to overcoming these challenges with our cargo assurance solution, showing how the trailer itself becomes part of a secure, connected system that helps prevent theft.”

Traditional cargo security tools such as disposable seals and passive tracking devices offer limited protection and little control. Wabash’s cargo assurance solution combines a purpose-built cargo door and intelligent locking system with TrailerHawk.AI’s connected platform, delivering real-time visibility and alerts wherever the cargo travels. The new solution transforms cargo assurance from passive monitoring into active assurance by creating multiple secure points of contact at the cargo door, enabling encrypted communication, in-transit monitoring and proactive intervention.

The solution is also designed to combat “strategic” or orchestrated cargo theft, where legitimate drivers are unknowingly used in fraud schemes due to broken information chains. By validating driver identity and carrier relationships and connecting those checks to physical access at the cargo door, customers can reduce uncertainty at handoffs and strengthen in-transit control.

“Wabash is redefining how the industry approaches cargo protection and creating a shift from loss mitigation to proactive risk prevention that safeguards assets, operations and customer trust,” Suma said. “We are already seeing customers overcome cargo security challenges by connecting digital identity, physical access control and chain-of-custody tracking.”

The TrailerHawk.AI digital assurance and chain-of-custody workflows are in use today with carriers using the mobile application for inspections, verification and asset visibility. The solution will first launch as a retrofit option for TaaS Pools in 2026. Next, it will be available as an option on new Wabash trailers or as a Wabash trailer retrofit in 2027 and expand from there.