how_to_protect_ your_fleet_from_a $400_million_problem

How to Protect Your Fleet from a $400 Million Problem

If your fleet business is located in Texas and keeps a garden tractor mower at work site, you might want to double-check that it hasn’t been stolen.

That tidbit of advice can be derived from the information presented in a recent report from the National Equipment Register (NER) and National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). Along with showing that most theft occurs on “Other’s Premises” such as a work site, the revealing report also ranked equipment theft by state.

The top 10 states for equipment theft are:

  1. Texas
  2. North Carolina
  3. Florida
  4. South Carolina
  5. Georgia
  6. California
  7. Tennessee
  8. Oklahoma
  9. Arkansas
  10. Indiana

And here’s the top 3 types of equipment that thieves target:

  1. Mowers (riding or garden tractor)
  2. Loaders (skid steer or wheeled)
  3. Tractors (wheeled or tracked)

What about recovery of this equipment? According to the NICB, “only 23 percent of heavy equipment stolen in 2014 was found, making it a costly crime for insurance companies, equipment owners and rental agencies.”

When added up, most estimates indicate that the cost of theft is in the $400 million range.

That’s a really big problem for fleets.

So, what’s a company to do to protect their assets from theft? You could follow the advice of the NICB and remove fuses and circuit breakers when equipment is unattended. Park equipment in ways that make it more difficult to steal items. Use hydro and sleeve locks. Maintain a photo archive of all your equipment and even stamp or engrave parts with an identifying mark.

You can also take it a step further with a GPS asset tracking device that will provide you with real-time visibility into your equipment. With just a click, you’ll know exactly where everything is located, 24/7. And that means you’ll always have the right equipment at the right work site at the right time.

When looking for the right provider to track and protect your assets, make sure they offer the following features:

  • Rugged and reliable tracking devices for both powered and unpowered assets
  • Cloud-based software that you can log into from your desktop or mobile device
  • The ability to monitor any unauthorized and off-hour use of your equipment
  • Automatic GPS positioning reports every 10 minutes when the asset is powered
  • Smart alerts that are triggered by an asset entering or exiting a work site
  • Ability to track what assets are being used or not, as well as speed and heading

You could also speed up your search and start protecting your fleet assets right away with the help of Spireon. As a leader in the industry, we’ve helped thousands of customers protect their most valuable assets. We know that every piece of equipment is vital to your fleet and provide GPS tracking solutions to fit your needs and budgets.

To learn more about our asset management devices and options, click here. Want to see it in action? Contact our team for a full demo.

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