Wabash recently debuted a cargo assurance solution that transforms the trailer itself into a secure, connected system designed to prevent cargo theft rather than simply document losses after they occur.
The announcement at Manifest 2026 is a major step in the trailer manufacturer’s push to transform traditional trailers into what it calls “platform trailers” capable of delivering end-to-end cargo assurance.
The solution, built on Wabash’s February 2025 acquisition of TrailerHawk.AI, integrates a physical locking mechanism inside the trailer with a mobile application that creates a digital seal and provisions cargo access throughout transit.
The announcement comes as the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) estimates cargo theft costs the industry as much as $6.6 billion annually.
“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.”
The technology stack addresses what Suma described as a fundamental gap in traditional cargo security. Disposable seals and passive tracking devices offer limited protection and little control. The Wabash solution creates multiple secure points of contact at the cargo door, enabling encrypted communication, in-transit monitoring and proactive intervention.
“The trailer essentially becomes an extension of the shipper’s warehouse while it’s in transit,” Suma said. “We’re providing a level of assurance to the shipper that’s never existed before.”
The system requires rigorous driver verification before freight ever moves. Drivers upload their commercial driver’s license, use phone biometrics to access the application and complete verification linking them to their carrier. The platform then captures tractor license plates, verifies the vehicle identification number against the carrier’s Department of Transportation number and confirms insurance coverage.
“We’re verifying not only the driver, we’re verifying the tractor, we’re verifying the insurance, we’re verifying the carrier, we’re doing an association record between that driver and that carrier,” Suma said. “And so that’s before they even get to interact with the trailer.”
The platform replaces traditional wrap-around seals with a fully digital system that logs the “who, what, where, when and why” of every cargo access event. Shippers can configure access permissions to allow drivers entry once they reach a geofenced receiver location, trigger automatic access at specific coordinates or require the consignee to physically authorize door opening through the application.
finance.yahoo.com
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