In an era where deepfakes can hijack phone calls and bots impersonate trusted partners, last mile delivery is now focused on both speed and security. On a recent episode of What the Truck?!?, OneRail Founder & CEO Bill Catania peeled back the curtain on the rising threat of AI fraud, the critical need for continuous authentication and why trust has become the most valuable currency in logistics.
Whether you’re a shipper, carrier or tech provider, this conversation offers a roadmap for staying resilient in an evolving fulfillment landscape. Here are five key insights from Catania’s conversation on What the Truck?!?
1. AI Fraud Is Here (& It’s Sophisticated)
“What’s happening in logistics is AI agents, you know, bad guys are convincing couriers to release shipments, to transfer funds.”
AI-enabled fraud is no abstract threat — it’s happening right now across the supply chain. Catania explained that what started as a simple automation strategy (carriers using bots to accept loads faster than humans) has evolved into something far more dangerous. Those early automation tactics created efficiency advantages, but they also opened the door for malicious actors who now use AI to impersonate shippers, brokers and brand contacts with startling accuracy.
During the interview, Catania detailed multiple fraud vectors OneRail has seen firsthand:
- Deepfake voice calls that mimic trusted partners to request shipment releases or credential access.
- AI-generated phishing messages that look legitimate enough to fool even experienced operators.
- Fake shipping and transfer documents designed to enable double-brokering and cargo theft.
- Social engineering powered by public data, where attackers tailor conversations to sound personal and credible.
What makes this especially dangerous is the speed and precision at which AI can now execute these schemes. As Catania noted, bad actors are no longer just guessing or hoping to trick someone. They’re now using well-trained models that learn and adapt.
This means every carrier, broker, shipper and 3PL is operating in a new threat environment. The ultimate risk is an erosion of trust across the entire delivery ecosystem.
2. Authentication Must Be Perpetual, Not One-Time
“Authentication is not a one-time event. It needs to be perpetual and it needs to be a living thing.”
One of the biggest misconceptions in logistics security is that authentication happens once. You verify a carrier. You confirm a dispatcher. You validate an API connection. And then you move on.
But as Catania explained, that mindset is exactly what makes companies vulnerable.
In the interview, he pointed out that traditional methods (like callbacks, passwords, static identity checks, etc.) only solve for a single moment in time. Once a credential is compromised, every system that trusted it is now compromised, too.
To address that, OneRail has designed its platform to treat authentication as continuous, not episodic. It checks identity at the start of a transaction and keeps validating it silently throughout the delivery lifecycle.
Catania described it as “triangulating data in real time.” That means cross-checking:
- Behavioral patterns: Is the carrier acting as they typically do?
- Contextual signals: Does the request make sense for this route or customer?
- Operational data points: Does the movement match expected chain-of-custody steps?
And the key is that it happens behind the scenes, without slowing the shipment or creating friction for the driver, carrier or shipper.
Catania even drew a comparison to how banks monitor fraud: You don’t just enter a PIN and hope for the best. Every transaction is constantly being scored, analyzed and validated. Logistics authentication needs to work the same way.
3. Security Is the New Competitive Advantage
“In this business, in logistics, trust is currency.”
In a world where generative AI can mimic voices, forge documents and manipulate data in milliseconds, security is now a strategic differentiator. And as Catania made clear, companies that fail to invest in security will soon find themselves outpaced by those that do.
On the podcast, Catania shared findings from OneRail’s recent market research, where 400 retail shippers were asked about their most urgent fulfillment needs. Cybersecurity and data privacy ranked No. 1 in both critical importance and willingness to invest.
That’s ahead of visibility, capacity and speed.
In Catania’s words, this shift is significant but unsurprising. It reflects a growing awareness across the industry that resilience is rooted in trust. Trust can’t be claimed; it must be earned and proven over time. For OneRail, this commitment is built into every layer of the business, as evidenced by the recent ISO 27001 certification.
Catania even reframed it as a mindset shift: Security isn’t a trophy you display. It’s a signal to your customers that you’re investing in the right things and that you understand their risks are now your risks, too.
4. The Data Trail Is Bigger & Leakier Than You Think
“Where it gets difficult, especially with last mile logistics, are the gaps, right, that are between APIs.”
From the moment a consumer searches for a product to the final scan at the doorstep, every delivery creates a massive trail of data. And according to Catania, that trail is riddled with blind spots.
On the podcast, he broke down what most companies overlook. Many think that vulnerabilities exist at obvious points like payment processing or package handoff, and that can be true. But the real threats lie in the gaps between systems.
While APIs have made digital integration easier to implement, they’re not foolproof. These gaps often emerge:
- In warehouses, where manual processes interrupt data continuity.
- During handoffs between carriers or couriers, especially in crowdsourced or multi-party networks.
- At the point of delivery, where substitutions, delays or transfers may occur without digital traceability.
Each of these moments represents a potential breach in visibility, which creates a target for bad actors. Fraud can flourish in the spaces where data isn’t being validated — where one system hands off to another without consistent tracking or verification.
At OneRail, Catania explained, the solution has been to design with these “in-between” moments in mind. When connecting systems, there’s an emphasis on fortifying the seams. That means creating a platform architecture that doesn’t rely on one system’s integrity, but instead ensures continuity through real-time data stitching, exception management and human-in-the-loop oversight.
5. Solving AI Fraud Requires Industry-Wide Collaboration
“Cross-industry collaboration is number one. Companies should be working together.”
When it comes to combating AI-powered fraud, no single company can go it alone. As Catania emphasized on the podcast, the scale and sophistication of today’s threats demand a united front that spans the entire logistics ecosystem.
He referenced his time in the digital coupon industry, where fraud prevention only became effective once brands, retailers and service providers came together to share data and strategies. That same playbook, he argued, is urgently needed in logistics.
Here’s what collaboration could look like:
- Shared fraud databases that help identify bad actors faster.
- Joint cybersecurity task forces that allow shippers, carriers and tech companies to align responses.
- Standardized certifications (like the one he proposes for dispatchers) to train teams in detecting AI manipulation.
- Public-private partnerships and regulatory engagement to create policies that keep up with the pace of technological change.
Without this kind of open, multi-stakeholder cooperation, companies risk fighting AI fraud with outdated tools and fragmented defenses. As Catania put it, the goal should be “fighting AI with AI” — and that means pooling insights, intelligence and innovation.
He also noted that major cloud and infrastructure providers (like Azure, AWS and Google) are already leaning into these efforts, offering advanced capabilities and guidance. But it’s up to the industry as a whole to break down silos and lean in, together.
The Future of Logistics Belongs to the Trust Builders
During his What the Truck?!? podcast appearance, Catania made clear that the last mile has transformed into a digital battleground. Given the current environment, trust, transparency and technology are now non-negotiables.
OneRail has prioritized adapting to and shaping this new reality. By embedding security into the core of the OmniPoint platform and championing collaboration across the industry, OneRail is helping every shipper, carrier and customer operate and act with confidence.
Want the full story? Listen to Bill Catania on FreightWaves’ What the Truck?!? and hear how OneRail is fighting AI with AI. You can also schedule a demo to learn more about how the platform is helping to secure the last mile.
