Theft of construction equipment is quickly becoming one of the most lucrative markets for criminals. When your construction equipment is stolen, you face a major loss. When construction equipment is stolen off of your job site, you face losing not only the high value of the machine, but also progress on your job site. The setback will cost you a lot of money.
Just about every construction site is exposed to the risk construction equipment theft poses. Theft is common in most areas. Misplacement of machinery can also happen simply because of crew changes and miscommunications. Searching for your missing machine is costly, delays projects, ruins the efficient utilization of personnel, and can make costs unsustainable. In order to avoid the pain of losing equipment, it is important that you manage risk of equipment loss due to theft.
In order to avoid theft, you must consider your jobsite. When you start a project, take a look at the site and decide how you plan on storing equipment at night and when the job is on hold. Awareness of the site will significantly reduce the risk of theft.
Holidays and weekends are prime time for construction equipment theft. In order to combat this regular occurrence, make sure to have your job site monitored during holidays and weekends. You can use a security guard to do this or you can have a security system equipped with video monitoring installed at your site. If your site is monitored, any suspicious activity can be caught and the police will be notified immediately, which increases the chances that your equipment will be located.
Another way to boost security is to require identification for equipment operators and those applying to rent. Thorough background checks should always be carried out before someone is allowed to use machinery. Once that background check has been completed, identification should be required to confirm that this is in fact the person you allowed to use the machinery.
While it is a hefty investment, tracking devices will ensure you always know where your equipment is. You will be able to track down the equipment once it has been stolen. You will also be able to confirm it is still at the jobsite from online, thanks to the telematics technology available today.
If you fall prey to fraud or theft, be sure to notify the police immediately. They can likely help you avoid being targeted later on. Any information you give them will likely help them solve your case.
It is easy for criminals to steal construction equipment. Most equipment looks and operates the same. There are barely any identifying factors, so differentiating your piece of equipment could help you find out it if it is stolen. On top of the similarity of appearance, most machines also have universal keys, lack license plates, and do not have standardized product ID numbers. The resale value is high and the equipment can even be used by the thief for a side job. If you do not take the above steps to keep it safe, you will likely be the next victim of construction equipment theft in your area.