WabashTM Unveils Next-Generation Cargo Assurance Solution at Manifest 2026
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chain-of-custodytechnical
A chain-of-custody is the documented trail showing who handled, transferred, stored and accessed an asset, sample or record from origin to its final destination. Think of it like a series of signed receipts that prove an item was tracked and not tampered with. Investors care because a clear chain-of-custody preserves evidence, regulatory compliance and product integrity, reducing legal, valuation and operational risks that can affect company value.
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3PLs are third‑party logistics providers — outside companies hired to handle warehousing, packing, shipping and related supply‑chain services for a business. Think of them as a professional moving and delivery team a company rents instead of running its own trucks and warehouses. Investors care because using 3PLs changes a company’s costs, speed of delivery, inventory flexibility and exposure to logistical risks, all of which can affect sales, margins and growth prospects.
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Encrypted communication is the process of turning messages or data into a secret code so only authorized people with the right key can read them, like locking a letter in a safe that only the recipient can open. For investors, it matters because it protects sensitive financial, personal, or medical information, helps companies meet regulations, and reduces the risk of costly data breaches or loss of customer trust that can hurt a stock’s value.
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In-transit monitoring is the real-time tracking of a shipment’s location and condition while it moves between points, often using sensors and data feeds to watch temperature, humidity, shock, and arrival timing. For investors, it matters because it reduces the risk that products are spoiled, delayed, or lost—protecting revenue, meeting regulatory or safety requirements, and lowering surprise costs in companies that rely on timely, intact deliveries. Think of it as a GPS plus health monitor for a package.
strategic cargo thefttechnical
Strategic cargo theft is the organized, planned stealing of shipments or inventory that targets specific high-value goods, routes, or times using inside knowledge or coordinated tactics. For investors, it matters because it can suddenly erode revenue, raise insurance and security costs, disrupt supply chains, and damage customer trust — similar to a professional break-in that removes key parts of a company’s business operations overnight.
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Digitally connected cargo door and TrailerHawk.AI platform provide verified access, chain-of-custody data and real-time alerts to help reduce cargo theft
LAFAYETTE, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Wabash today announced the debut of a next-generation cargo assurance solution at Manifest 2026 in Las Vegas. This patent pending integrated solution pairs a digitally connected cargo door and intelligent locking system with the TrailerHawk.AITM 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 added. “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.
At Manifest, attendees can experience live demonstrations of the cargo door and lock, along with TrailerHawk.AI workflows including real-time alerts, verified access and chain-of-custody tracking. Wabash will also host a breakout session with Brett Suma on the Manifest Innovation stage on February 10 at 10:50 a.m. His session, “The Future of Cargo Assurance,” will walk through how the physical and digital components work together to deliver active cargo assurance. For more information or to see the solution in action, visit Wabash at Booth #1513 during Manifest 2026.
Wabash (NYSE: WNC) combines physical and digital technologies to deliver innovative, end-to-end solutions that optimize supply chains across transportation, logistics and infrastructure markets. Headquartered in Lafayette, Indiana, Wabash designs, manufactures, and services an extensive range of products supporting first-to-final mile operations, including dry and refrigerated trailers and truck bodies, platform trailers, tank trailers, structural composites and more. In addition, through Wabash subsidiary Linq Venture Holdings LLC (d/b/a Wabash TaaS) and Wabash Parts, customers gain access to a nationwide parts and service network, Trailers as a Service (TaaS)℠, and advanced tools designed to streamline operations and drive growth. By enabling businesses to thrive today and prepare for tomorrow, Wabash is Changing How the World Reaches You®. Learn more at onewabash.com.
