Mobile Tracking and Consulting Services wants YOU to know…

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a motor vehicle is stolen every 44 seconds in the United States. Unfortunately, construction fleets are common targets for theft, causing a significant challenge for the industry.

So what happens if a vehicle or a piece of equipment is stolen? The good news for construction fleets is that there are several types of vehicle recovery systems available that will help locate the stolen property before it’s too late.

GPS tracking systems are the most effective technologies used by construction fleets to recover stolen assets. Construction fleets are a target for theft because vehicles and equipment are often left on the jobsite for extended periods of time and sometimes in remote areas. GPS tracking systems allow construction fleets to gain visibility over vehicles and equipment on jobsites at all times. If a vehicle or piece of equipment is stolen from the jobsite, the technology provides the ability to pinpoint the asset’s exact location to increase the chance of recovering it and prevent taking the loss.

To help recover stolen vehicles and equipment, construction fleets use a GPS tracking system’s alerting capabilities to notify management of activity during odd hours, if vehicles or equipment leave the jobsite’s geofence, and if a vehicle’s alarm system is activated.

MONITOR ACTIVITY DURING ODD HOURS
For construction fleets that leave vehicles or equipment on jobsites, it’s beneficial to monitor activity after hours since it is the most likely time theft will occur. GPS tracking systems enable fleet managers to set custom times of day that vehicles or equipment are not utilized for work purposes to monitor activity exceptions. If a fleet manager receives an odd hours alert that a work truck is moving during the middle of the night, it could mean that the vehicle is being stolen. Receiving this alert allows managers to take action right away and increase the chances of recovering the vehicle.

SETUP GEOFENCES AROUND JOBSITES
To keep track of vehicles and equipment on more secluded jobsites, construction fleets can use a GPS tracking system to create geofences to monitor when vehicles or equipment enter or leave the jobsite. If a piece of equipment, like a generator, is scheduled to stay on the jobsite for six months, receiving an alert that it left the site two months ahead of schedule raises a red flag. Receiving a geofence alert allows the fleet manager to contact the field supervisor to check on the equipment’s status. If it turns out the vehicle or equipment is missing, the field supervisor can report the theft and notify the authorities as soon as possible.

RECEIVE ALERTS IF VEHICLE ALARMS ARE ACTIVATED
Many construction fleets invest in aftermarket alarm systems. Although OEM alarms are fairly reliable, they are incredibly easy to tamper with and an experienced thief will know how to disable them without a problem. All that needs to be done is snip a wire or remove a fuse.

In addition to being less susceptible to disarming, aftermarket alarms are beneficial because they can be integrated with a GPS tracking system to send alerts to fleet managers if the alarm is set off. If a vehicle theft occurs after hours or where someone is unable to hear the alarm, receiving an alert is an additional layer of security that will increase the likelihood of recovering the stolen property. GPS tracking systems will notify managers immediately when the alarm is triggered so they can check on the status of the vehicle and provide its location to authorities if a theft is taking place.

Although construction fleets are a common target for vehicle and equipment theft, having the right security tools in place, like a GPS tracking system, will help recover stolen property and prevent taking a hit to the company’s bottom line. By setting up the best functionality based on business operations, the company will be able to recover stolen vehicles and equipment as quickly as possible.

Source: By Jenny Malcolm
Published On: Wednesday, April 27, 2016 10:18 AM.