ARLINGTON, Va.—Cargo theft is on the rise and needs a national strategy to contain it, experts say.

More than two trucks are stolen in the United States every day, said Ed Petow, the Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based law enforcement liaison and director of quality control for FreightWatch International, a Dublin, Ireland-based logistics security agency, during last week's national cargo theft summit in Arlington, Va., sponsored by the National Insurance Crime Bureau. The cost of such theft, which includes goods stolen from warehouses and other facilities as well as direct theft of and from trucks, is considerable.

Depending on the source used, cargo theft costs between $25 billion and $30 billion annually, U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., told the summit. “The full effect of this stealth industry is not known” because some businesses are reluctant to report losses for fear it will damage their reputation, he said.

“It's a target-rich environment,” with thieves hitting trucks, ports, warehouses and other places, Rep. Stearns said. Some commodities such as pharmaceuticals and high-tech items are particularly attractive because profit is higher and the risk is lower than selling illegal drugs, he said.

Rep. Stearns said he plans to develop legislation to establish the National Task Force on Cargo Theft. He suggested that a “cargo theft caucus” could be set up in the House by lawmakers from states such as Florida and California that suffer disproportionately from cargo theft. Establishing a caucus would help move anti-cargo theft legislation forward.

The Des Plaines, Ill.-based NICB and other insurance, business and law enforcement groups began calling for a federal national cargo theft prevention initiative in 2005. Among other things, the groups want to set up a national commercial vehicle and cargo theft prevention task force consisting of law enforcement and private-sector representatives to coordinate implementation of the initiative nationwide. Cargo theft task forces would be “coordinated by federal partners to assure a nationwide group of interconnected state cargo theft task forces,” according to the document calling for the initiative. The plan also calls for greater sharing of information among law enforcement agencies.

At last week's summit, attendees approved adding a public awareness strategy as part of the national strategy. “Now is the time to tell the American people what we are doing,” said Joseph H. Wehrle, president and chief executive officer of the NICB.

Mr. Petow said cargo theft patterns have changed somewhat in recent years. The highest rate of thefts used to be at truck stops, but now the highest rate is at staging areas where trucks are loaded, he said.

High-value theft groups go to where the product is, he said.

“These guys do their research and learn from their mistakes,” Mr. Petow said. Thieves figure out low-tech ways to get around technology, but tend to avoid violence, he said.

High-value thieves will drive or fly to distant places and tend to stay in economy hotels. They perform extensive surveillance, buy tools locally to carry out their heists and always have an exit strategy, he said.

Mr. Petow said victims of a cargo theft should notify local police, cargo theft task forces as well as drivers and dispatchers of the theft, such as a fleetwide broadcast.

Cargo theft is increasing, Mr. Petow stressed. Without some sort of national strategy, “it's going to keep getting worse.”