Car theft rises 25% in winter but what about commercial vehicles theft? And the theft of plant and equipment, too.
You might be wondering why the arrival of winter sees car theft shoot up. One of the biggest reasons is because we leave our keys in the ignition for the car to warm up whilst we finish getting ready indoors. It seems such a simple thing to do yet it gives thieves 5, 10, minutes with free access to your car.
But, we’re here to talk about commercial vehicle theft. When we say ‘vehicle,’ we’re really talking about everything that encompasses:
- Vehicles (on their own or part of a fleet)
- Machinery
- Plant
- Equipment
- And even tools
All things that are valuable to a business, both literally and the cost of downtime without them.
Light commercial vehicles (LCV) and plant theft is a major issue for fleet managers and business owners. It is expensive, stressful and can have serious knock-on effects for business productivity, output and work. Hence why most – if not all – of us will take precautions to secure our valuable assets at the end of each day.
But, we’re only human. 57% admitted leaving tools in their van overnight, with almost a third not taking extra precautions to protect their kit, such as secondary locks or vehicle trackers.
After a long day, you might think ‘it’ll be alright’ and not bother. And, it probably will be alright but on the off chance it’s not, it could bring you some serious grief.
However, the cost of replacement tools and equipment currently stands at around £15 million for business across the UK EVERY. YEAR.
To put that into perspective, if you were to have your van/plant/machinery stolen, it would cost on average £550 a day.
How to prevent commercial vehicle theft?
- You could install port protectors to your vehicles to prevent thieves from firing up the engine.
- You could install anti-pick locks to all the vehicles, plant and machinery.
- You could use stickers as a deterrent announcing that ‘no tools are left here overnight.’
- You could make sure you have CCTV in place to watch over your fleet out of hours.
- Also, what about parking your machinery and plant defensively – as in, where they’re blocked by a secure, planted object like an anti-ram post
All of which are very good and well. They will help to reduce unwanted attention and certainly put up a good fight against thieves, career or opportunist.
You could also go one step ahead and get the force Lincmaster behind your fleet. After 25 years, we have never knowingly lost in the fight against commercial vehicle theft.
What equipment do I need to prevent commercial vehicle theft?
A good place to start is with good quality locks. By good quality, we mean in both design and material. Using British made steel is one of the best things we can do to make sure our products put up the best fight possible against thieves.
We know the first thought when considering securing your fleet is that it’s too big a cost to pay.
We understand that but what is the full true cost of replacing it? The insurance excess on one trailer or Mini-excavator will pay for many Lincmaster ‘Thief Stoppers’.
We often call our products economy devices – because they save you money by stopping the theft of your plant. Saving you the cost of the excess, higher premiums, lost revenues etc.
Don’t do all your plant at once – protect the most vulnerable – generally there are those items that are more vulnerable than others, certain locations and sometimes certain staff – we can give you free advice . Then as you replace equipment add more anti-theft devices to new items – in that way you will cover all your assets but over a longer and more cost-effective period.
What do I need to look for in an effective lock for my commercial plant?
Choosing the right locks for the job is essential, and we don’t just mean from the Lincmaster range. Locks are an extra obstacle for thieves to overcome and can act as a visual deterrent.
Some people say to us “Thieves will get anything they want, given time and the right equipment, so we don’t do anything”
But to that, we say: But if you don’t do anything they won’t even need the time or the equipment! Our products stop opportunists and persuade professionals to move to softer targets. We can also show you how to stop the professionals completely.
Ensuring the lock you buy is made from quality material is one of the most important factors. If it’s not strong and durable enough, thieves will easily snap or break through it.
We have seen attempts to cut a lock, grind, disc or bum it off including one where a Leg-Lock unit was cut into three pieces. This was by burning but the metal in the lock melted, ran around the pin and effectively braised it in place and stopped them getting away with the machine.
Cost doesn’t always mean quality. That goes without saying! A £10 lock from eBay probably isn’t going to be as effective as one that costs a bit more. You know what they say, buy cheap, buy twice.
What Lincmaster locks are there to choose from?
You won’t be surprised to learn that we have a lock for every occasion.
For trailers, wood chippers and towed plant: The Universal Hitchlok
A lock with 3 keys to suit Eyeloks: The BarrelLok
To connect your valuable assets: The Heavy Duty Security Chain
For hydraulic breakers, buckets, post-hole borers etc: The BreakerLok
For virtually any hydraulically steered machine: The RamLok
For anchoring anything from boats and motorbikes to trailers and lawnmowers: The GroundLok
For securing plant when not in use: The WallLok
To prevent theft of multi lift/hook lift skips: The Skiplok
To stop your ATV or Head Only Quad being stolen: The QuadLok
For vehicle or property protection: The Anti Ram Security Post
For tracked machinery with holes in the drive sprocket: The MiniLok
For machinery with rubber tracks such as an excavator: The TrackLok
To secure machinery with hydraulic legs such as JCB diggers: The LegLok
For locking vehicles in transit/locking more than one vehicle together: The BossLok
For XYZ: The EyeLok
For securing Nato and Agri towing eyes: The NatoLok
For securing towing eyes: The Multi Purpose Lok
For general protection, we stock a whole range of Padlocks
If you want more information on any of these products, or want to ask which is best for your commercial vehicles, plant, machinery or tools then get in touch!
