Commercial Work Vehicle Theft Prevention

Commercial work trucks are in hot demand lately.  Not only are sales up by about 11%, but thefts are also up too.  According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NCIB), cargo theft in the US adds up to approximately $15 to $35 billion every year. 

While filing an insurance claim on the vehicle and/or cargo is always and option (if you have qualifying coverage), you can count on your insurance going up if you do.  Furthermore, there’s a lot of inconvenience and down time when your vehicle and/or cargo is stolen.  The best solution is to prevent theft from happening.

 

10 Tips to Prevent Truck Theft

Commercial work truck thievery is twofold – the actual vehicle and the contents within the cab and bed of the truck.  Here are a few steps you can take to make sure your truck and it’s cargo isn’t stolen:

  1. Lock Up.  It sounds like a no-brainer, but 209 vehicle thefts take place every day due to the keys being left in them.  It’s not as careless as it might seem, however.  Many drivers are just running in a convenience store or are pumping gas and dashing over to grab window cleaning supplies at the next pump over. Thieves are quick and they are opportunists waiting for a split second you let your guard down so lock your doors and windows even when you’ll just be gone for a short time. 
  2. Keys are key.  Crooks often walk by trucks to check for keys in the ignition so they can jump in and take off.  As mentioned above, even if you’re just running in a convenience store or jotting over to grab a windshield cleaning device from the next set of pumps, take your keys…please!
  3. Lighting.  Thieves are lurking where there is dim or no lighting.  You can be a victim of theft by force or gunpoint otherwise.  Park in the best lit area of the parking lot or gas station. 
  4. Safer in numbers.  Be sure not to stop or park where no one is at.  Crooks look for secluded vehicles, with or without the driver in them.
  5. Alarm.  Invest in a theft alarm system.  Take the potential thieve by surprise when they are blasted by a loud and obnoxious sound that stops them in their tracks and draws attention to their evil deeds.
  6. Visibility.  Make sure to advertise your defense mechanisms.  If you have an alarm or anti-theft device, make it known by keeping a decal sticker in full view. 
  7. Immobilizing system.  An immobilizer system, kill switch, or fuse cut-off is worth the small price tag when it stops a thief from taking your truck.
  8. Camera.  A camera installed in your truck can help prevent a theft if you are able to view it from a device such as a cell phone.  There are a number of high-tech gadgets you might want to check into.
  9. Secure your cargo.  Don’t leave items unsecured in the bed of your truck.  If you do, you’re asking for trouble.  Even if you’re on the jobsite or are in your own driveway, thieves are waiting to pounce when you feel the safest. 
  10. Tracking system.  Invest in a tracking system so if the worst does happen, you are more likely to be successful locating it.

Vehicle Recovery System

If your vehicle is stolen, you have a slim chance of getting it back unless you have a vehicle recovery system in place.  Law enforcements are left to rely on scouting out license plate numbers, VIN numbers, and vehicle descriptions which doesn’t lead to many recoveries.  Vehicle theft often involves a sophisticated ring of crooks who are quite good at what they do and how they do it.

A vehicle recovery system employs the use of a global positioning system (GPS) to locate a stolen vehicle.  A signal is sent to the tracking software that allows the vehicle’s exact location to be disclosed in real time.  The information is then used by law enforcement to recovery the vehicle.

Some commercial work trucks come equipped with GPS devices but even those that do are not always are state-of-the art.  A simple and inexpensive upgrade in GPS system for your truck or your entire fleet could save you considerable time and money. 

MJ TruckNation

Looking for a new or used commercial work truck? We are here for you.  From Box Trucks and Flatbeds to Dump Trucks and everything in between, we’ve got it all at MJ TruckNation.  When you buy a truck from us, we’ll help you make sure it’s secure.  Give us a call today – 561-840-9800.

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