I was reading a LawnSite.com thread today about theft. A landscaper had written a long post detailing his experience with his business getting hit by thieves. He then listed some of the things his company did very well that prevented a larger amount of equipment being walked out his gates and the things that he could have done to have stopped them altogether. Short term, a robbery of a field service company’s equipment could leave them immobile for a week or two. Long term, it could cripple a company.
The area you work out of doesn’t have to be a higher crime area for you to be vulnerable. The yard you work out of could be out in the country or in the middle of an office park, no one place is best. The best thing that you can do is have layers of security, a few measures working together to prevent a thief from getting away with your valuable equipment. Most of these crimes occur because the opportunity is there, if you make your stuff harder to steal, thieves will typically move on to an easier target.
The unfortunate thing is that when a theft like this does occur, people are stealing hard earned items that are vital to someone’s livelihood. There are a few lessons that can be learned from this landscaper’s misfortune that can benefit any field service business owner. A few are simple, a few require a bit of work and money and a few are just a matter of habit. Here are 8 tips to help protect your business from thieves:
Locks
Have thick padlocks on anything that can move. A smaller padlock can be cut pretty easily, and a larger one still isn’t foolproof, but they will for sure slow someone down. It is important to lock up any enclosed trailers every night and make sure the trailer tongue is locked up too so a hitch can’t be hooked up. Here is a nice coupler lock from Master Lock which is designed for trailers.
This can be kind of a pain to do at times and will take a couple of minutes to do at the end of the day. Your crew might complain about it, but it is a good habit to get into. You can also buy trailer-wheel locks that make it nearly impossible to move the trailer. Ever gotten a boot on your car from parking in the wrong place? Same concept, it isn’t going anywhere!
Gates
If you have a yard or shop that you store your trailers, trucks and other equipment, a lockable gate is a good way to slow down a would be thief. Again, layering yourself is a great defense. This comes down to making it a habit of making sure the last person at the shop has locked up at the end of the night.
Onsite Security- Cameras, Lighting, Alarms
This can be a larger investment, but field service companies can very easily have over a couple hundred thousand dollars in equipment in their shops at any given time. If you have quite a bit of gear, it could be well worth your money to invest in a good security system. Cameras can capture important information on who stole or is trying to steal your equipment. And motion lights and alarms might be enough to draw too much attention to your property and will scare thieves away.
The LawnSite.com post from the contractor said that he had a silent security alarm installed, however they forgot to arm it before the last person left for the night.
GPS
A GPS device can be extremely helpful in recovering lost equipment. They vary in cost and functionality, but if you do have a trailer or even one of your trucks go missing, you’ll be able to show police an exact location of your valuables.
I found one very clever way of rigging a trailer with a cheap phone. A guy had placed two small solar panels on the top of his trailer, wired it to a 12V battery inside his trailer, put it in a box so it looks like it is just wired to run his exterior/interior lighting, then ran wire to plug his phone, which is hidden in the paneling. The phone is always on and has the Find My Phone app installed. The total cost was around $200 and the ongoing phone plan is around $25 a month. Not a bad idea and the phone won’t turn off unless the person stealing his trailer found it. At that point though, you should’ve had plenty of time to locate it.
Insurance
If someone is determined enough, they will most likely get away with stealing your equipment. A good insurance policy can help get you back up and running quickly. Make sure you understand the terms of your policy. Know whether you will be receiving Actual Cash Value of your gear or replacement cost. ACV can wind up being significantly less for a lot of equipment that is used in field service industries. The most important thing though is to have your possessions covered.
Unconventional Methods
A Dog
This is a prevention method that I saw a lot of people mention. Seems pretty crazy, but I guess people still do have a “junkyard dog”. Typically a barking dog will deter a thief.
Noticeable Paint Jobs
A custom paint job on your trailer and trucks or decals on your mowers and other equipment could be enough to have your gear noticed and reported. The most stolen color trailer is just plain white.
“Trip Lines”
Ok. This is one that seems like it would be part of Kevin McCallister’s plan to stop the robbers in Home Alone, but I suppose it might work. A guy had rigged trip lines around his shop. It was just fishing line attached to a very loud, but not harmful, explosive. It sounds like a gun being fired and scares the heck out of anyone not expecting it!
