Outsmart asset thieves with tiny trackers that hide in plain sight
Thieves who target construction companies and worksites are looking for fast profits with low risk. They aim for high-value, high-demand, unattended assets that can be resold or stripped for parts with minimal traceability.
A lucrative crime for them. A high price of business for you. According to this source, “A study of over 15,000 incidents found that contractors lost an average of about $6,000 per incident.”
Thieves know where to look.
| Worksites are vulnerable locations. | Vehicles are vulnerable targets. |
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Open and active worksites are full of distractions, which make it easy to walk (or drive) off with stolen equipment. After a jobsite closes for the day, thieves pull up and fill a trailer. |
When crews step away to take a break, park for the night, or perform a task in the field, thieves steal from the vehicle. Or they’ll make off with the vehicle itself, as well as any tools and equipment on board. |
Locks, immobilizers and cameras will only do so much. Once that asset has left the location and is out of a camera’s view, thieves have the advantage.
Unless you’ve attached a small, discreet, rugged equipment tracker they can’t see and don’t realize is there. Select asset tracking devices also feature a Theft Recovery Mode to aid in law enforcement in getting that asset back, quickly.
And what they want to steal.
Thieves like a little bit of everything. Anything they can steal and sell quickly, with little risk, they consider it fair game.
Tools and toolboxes are hot ticket items, and often left in trucks overnight. Big brand names like Kubota, Caterpillar and John Deer are high-demand targets. Older assets without identifiable numbers fetch a decent profit on the black market and are even harder to trace. Thieves will even steal city lawnmowers.
| Popular items of thieves’ to-steal list | |
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Less than 25% of stolen construction equipment is ever recovered. Not tracking onsite assets, especially high-value targets, reduces their odds of recovery. (Farewell, sweet generator.)
Professional thieves know what to look for and how to sabotage obvious trackers. However, no one can get around trackers they don’t know realize are attached. And an equipment tracker that fits almost any asset you have is worth that asset’s weight in savings when you recover it. Those that feature a Theft Recovery Mode won’t even be aware that you’re working with law enforcement to get it back.
Generators, forklifts, backhoes, lawnmowers, toolboxes, towables: Name it, track it.
Turn the tables by tracking your assets.
Each year, more than 11,000 theft incidents take place at construction sites. Some equipment managers experience theft weekly. Using trackers, especially ones with a Theft Recovery Mode, enables you to work with law enforcement to recover stolen assets, faster.
Get back what’s yours. The right asset tracker is your digital watchdog. Look for one designed for professional, precision asset tracking in tough environments such as worksites. And will track just about any tool, equipment, machinery and other high-value asset you want to safeguard.
| What to look for | Why |
|---|---|
| Small, compact size | Attaches to almost any asset of almost any size |
| Discreet design | Easily overlooked as part of the equipment |
| Deliberately rugged | Built to stay attached and work in tough, remote conditions |
| Long-lasting battery | Tracks equipment deployed for long periods of time |
| Reliable connectivity | Connects whether equipment is stationary or in motion |
Deter inside jobs.
Fair to state that most employees aren’t thieves. Still, a select few seize opportunities when they see one or use their inside knowledge to plan larger hauls. Either way, you lose assets and rack up replacement costs.
Make it known among workers that your fleet uses equipment trackers designed to be difficult to see, remove or disable. They don’t need to know what the trackers look like or even what they’re attached to. Knowing the devices are there will make internal thieves think twice.
Put a stop to repeat theft.
Thieves who know your equipment is vulnerable keep coming back for more. Prevent repeat construction site theft by tracking assets with a discreet, rugged asset tracker. Know when they try to steal from your jobsites again. Increase your odds of asset recovery, and they’ll be less likely to repeat.
Keep tabs for the long-term.
Construction sites are no places for consumer trackers like the ones people put in their luggage. Tools and heavy equipment live in tough environments. And they’re put to hard use. Asset trackers that can’t handle weather, vibrations, dust and extreme temperatures are short-lived investments.
Equipment trackers should be designed per these specifications to function reliably in tough conditions.
- IP67 rated to withstand dust, dirt, rain, sleet and snow
- Sealed in a rugged enclosure designed for the elements
- Operates from -22°F to 140°F
With proper care and maintenance, a piece of construction equipment can serve up to 15 years. The longer you can trust the trackers to stay attached and pinging home, the more peace of mind you’ll have.
Track assets during long or remote deployments.
Construction equipment deployed for months or years is vulnerable to theft because it’s also easily lost. Every factor that makes remote jobsites prime locations for construction equipment loss also makes those sites prime locations for theft.
| What makes remote assets vulnerable | How asset trackers prevent theft |
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Remote worksites may not have reliable cell coverage. Choose a rugged, reliable tracker that uses three forms of connectivity to stay connected, such as GNSS (GPS) and Wi-Fi® signals with fallback to cell tower regulation. Especially if you deploy must-have, expensive equipment to locations that are miles from home or in the middle of nowhere.
Track your fleet together to keep it together.
Choose a discreet, professional-grade equipment tracker that’s rugged, hard to see and small enough to track almost anything. Choose one that integrates with a fleet management platform. Track your entire fleet—equipment, machinery, towables, toolboxes, utility vehicles, and almost any other type of asset—in one place, online, 24/7. And check that it has a Theft Recovery Mode available for dynamic tracking. When thieves steal a high-value asset, you’ll want a tracker to provide a near real-time ping while in motion, so you can work with law enforcement to assist with faster asset recovery. Your bottom line and peace of mind will thank you.
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