The steep cost fleet vehicle theft.
One of the disturbing trends we’ve seen in security is the rise of fleet vehicle theft.
This type of theft is not targeting the vehicle, but the contents. Contractor vehicles, welding trucks, and general construction trucks and vans that carry equipment and tools are often targeted for their contents and provides a challenge for fleet security. But trying to protect the contents might not be the best way to prevent the theft of the contents.
Seems backward, but first, you must understand how thieves go about stealing the contents and how they think, to best understand how to prevent the theft. What’s worse is company logos on vehicles give thieves clues as to what’s inside.
Plumbing equipment, welding equipment, contractor tools are all valuable cargo that is quickly sold on Craigslist or eBay. If they steal one truck and find it profitable, they’ll target others from the same company.
We had one customer with vans worth about $40,000 in tools and equipment, not to mention the van itself. They had one van stolen, then another, then they almost lost a third. We got the call to protect the fleet shortly after that. One week after we were done they had another attempt on a van and we stopped it.
They would have paid more to replace that one van than it cost to protect the whole fleet. This fleet security case provided instant ROI. The moral to the story, and so many others we’ve heard just like it, is the thieves don’t want to grab what they can and run, they want to take the whole vehicle, get it to someplace more secure, and remove all the equipment, not just a couple pieces.
Why steal the vehicle? Why not just empty the contents? It’s less conspicuous, less risky and more profitable to drive away with the whole vehicle than it is to take just a few parts out of the van or truck. From the thieves’ point of view, he can get in the vehicle, close the doors and duck under the dash and connect the wires he needs to start the vehicle.
Unless someone is right next to or above the vehicle, no one can see them below the window line. The drawback with 99% of car alarms and immobilizers is that their wire connections are right under the dash. Under the dash is the first place thieves go. It’s their office. Any thief capable of starting a car without a key will see the obvious non-OEM wires and reconnect the factory wires.
They are done and gone. And what good is a tracking system once the vehicle is stolen? They take the van or truck, clean it out, and you get back what the thieves don’t want. You don’t want to worry about vehicle theft.
The Ravelco Anti-Theft Device is the best way to protect your fleet vehicles from theft.
Your fleet should be protected with something proven over time to prevent theft. Something reliable that won’t leave your vehicle stranded. From someone with reputable companies like AAA, the NICB and others, partnering with them. The best anti-theft device is the best way to protect your fleet from cargo theft. If the van or truck can’t move, they won’t get away with the equipment inside or on the bed. The best anti-theft device is the Ravelco.
