Did you know that cargo theft costs U.S. businesses up to $30 billion per year? And, incidents of cargo theft can spike up to 50% during the holiday season. If you own or manage a van or trailer fleet, you can save a lot of money by taking measures to prevent cargo theft. In this post, we’ll cover some effective ways to prevent thieves from stealing your equipment and/or merchandise.
The Main Reasons Equipment And Merchandise Theft Happens
Fleet drivers are hustling on the job. Sometimes they can get distracted and either:
- Leave the cargo unattended while talking with a customer or loading/unloading the vehicle.
- Forget to lock the door (or toolbox).
Both scenarios create a prime opportunity for thieves to rob the vehicle. The good news is there are solutions that help your drivers keep the cargo safe.
Ways To Prevent Equipment And Merchandise Theft
Some fleet owners and managers make the mistake of not taking any precautions to prevent cargo theft. Sometimes their reasoning is they don’t want to invest more money into their vehicles or trailers. Other are just not aware of how new technology can better secure their property. Don’t make the same mistake. It may cost some money upfront to equip your vans or trailers with safety measures. Yet, effective cargo theft prevention will save you thousands of dollars in the long run. If you ask us, it’s absolutely worth the small investment if it means that your equipment and/or merchandise will be kept safe from thieves. Here are some ways to improve security:
1. Install PIN Number Locks On Your Vehicles
Having those locks on your vehicles means the doors will automatically lock as they’re closed. The only way to open them back up is to punch in the PIN. This means the doors on your vehicles won’t accidentally be left unlocked. Yet, there are a few drawbacks to this solution. If you assign different codes to all your vehicles, it can be easy for your drivers to forget the codes. If that happens, your drivers can be stranded outside of the vehicle. That creates a whole host of issues.
2. Have Your Drivers Use A Safe Parking App
The likelihood of cargo theft is much higher in unsecured parking locations. In fact, over 85% of cargo theft occurs in unsecured parking locations. What makes a parking location not secure? The lack of lights, security, and surveillance cameras. A good example of an unsecured parking location is a rest stop.
You can instruct your drivers to only park in secure parking spots when there’s cargo in the vehicle. Also, have them download an app that helps them find secure parking spots nearby. The TruckPark app is a good place to start.
3. Invest In Vehicle Immobilization Technology
One of the great things about living in the 21st century is the existence of vehicle immobilization technology. This technology allows you to remotely disable a stolen vehicle. Some vehicle immobilizers like this one requires the driver to scan their ID tag before being able to turn on the vehicle.
This technology can come in quite handy. About 40% of all cargo theft involves vehicle theft, too.
4. Install SEER On Your Vehicles
Made by the same company that makes satellite radio adapter kits for vehicles, SEER stands for Smart Entry Exit Recognition. It’s an advanced keyless entry system that provides the security your vehicles need against theft. The way SEER works is quite simple:
- The driver has a tag on their keychain.
- SEER detects the driver’s proximity to the vehicle and locks or unlocks it accordingly. (SEER can also lock and unlock toolboxes and storage compartments.)
SEER is a great solution for three reasons:
- It greatly reduces the chances of cargo theft due to human error.
- It features advanced encryption technology, which makes it impossible for a thief to hack into the system.
- You can customize the system to take extra security measures.
Learn more about SEER for fleet applications today!
Categories: Car Accessories