Security has become a major headache for agricultural machinery and heavy plant, especially on construction sites, where protecting the whole perimeter 24/7 may not be possible.
Large assets like earth movers and trailers are expensive investments and as some reports state that as little as 10% of stolen assets like these are ever found, more companies are looking for a better solution to protect their investment.
Asset trackers for plant provide site managers with the means to monitor and track the movement of plant equipment.
Asset tracking equipment pinpoints the location of heavy plant machinery via GPS tracking, providing an invaluable tool for the successful recovery of stolen plant via software on a computer or mobile device.
It can be an essential tool for the management of machinery on a busy construction site, as well as offering peace of mind from a security standpoint.
Plant theft – facts and figures
Police have long recognised the role of plant theft in organised crime, setting up the Plant and Agricultural National Intelligence Unit (PANIU) in 2008.
PANIU recovered 824 machines worth more than £17 million during its ten years of operation, and during its final year, 2018, reported the 650 mini excavators and 463 site dumpers were stolen that year.
When it folded in 2019 because of funding problems in the Metropolitan Police, there was uncertainty about what would replace it.
However, a unit called ‘Agriculture and Construction Equipment’ (ACE), has been set up by the Opal national intelligence unit, funded by donations from a group of insurance companies, the Construction Equipment Association, and the Agricultural Engineers Association.
According to a report by Allianz Cornhill, theft of construction plant in the UK currently totals more than £70 million per annum.
The knock-on costs are estimated to be nearer £800 million, but this kind of theft doesn’t just have an impact on the bottom line. It can prevent companies from fulfilling contracts on time, costing penalties and causing damage to its reputation, which in turn can lead to job losses and a sharp decline in profit.
Site managers have to protect construction machinery and tools not just from the opportunistic thief who spots his moment when a vehicle is left unattended, but from organised criminals who make a living from stealing plant equipment and machinery and selling it on.
They see a construction site as a low-risk opportunity providing high payoff because of the constant demand for heavy plant.
To make things worse, thieves are becoming ever more sophisticated because of the high financial rewards for stealing plant equipment.
Some even go as far as posing as plant mechanics, turning up with fake paperwork and liveried low loaders so they can brazenly drive the plant away right from under the noses of bona fide construction workers.
At AJT Installs, we are passionate about all vehicle security, whether private cars, fleets (buses, emergency vehicle, HGVs), or plant machinery like dumpers, diggers and earth movers.
Whatever the type of vehicle, our fleet management software offers protection 24/7.
One of the benefits of Tracker 365 for plant is that trackers are included.
So, if you are a construction site manager worried about the security of plant assets, get in touch with us today so we can talk to you about your options.
Security on construction sites
What makes construction sites prime targets for thieves?
There are a number of factors that when combined, can make them attractive to criminals:
Low risk: Some sites are remote, so the prospect of being caught quickly is slim, offering thieves a better than even chance of getting away clean.
Machinery is often left on-site overnight because removing it every day to a secure location is problematical and expensive. Providing a high level of security around the entire perimeter can be difficult and again, expensive.
High returns: Smaller machinery like mini excavators/diggers and dumpers (the most stolen items from sites), provide tempting targets owing to a lucrative second-hand market throughout Europe.
Opportunity: Keys left on or near vehicles, to make it easy for different operators to use the same vehicle, make easy pickings for those willing to observe and make note of hiding places.
Smaller equipment: Is often not secured and trailers can also be stolen by thieves to transport their main target of mini plant equipment. A kind of ‘two for one’ deal for thieves!
How does asset tracking help?
As the statistics for recovery of stolen plant equipment are only around 10%, vehicle trackers can provide that extra level of protection for high value equipment.
Using GPS technology to provide location details, the trackers give owners a better chance of recovering high value assets if they are stolen.
Provided as part of our fleet management software system, plant trackers have a battery, SIM card, radio frequency and GPS technology and do not require hardwiring to the plant battery, which means they operate independently.
Because they are small, they are easy to place somewhere where thieves will find them difficult to spot.
We also put a secondary tracker on every item of plant, just in case the first one is found and removed!
Construction site managers can see the precise location of the asset using the accompanying software, so any theft can be acted upon quickly and reported to the police with accurate time and location details.
The benefits of asset tracking devices
The benefits to fleet managers of using fleet management software have become apparent over the last ten years or so, but many construction companies are now realising that installing it into high value plant equipment and machinery has many advantages:
- If you hire plant to other construction companies, you are not in control of its security, so a plant tracker can give you peace of mind that the equipment is where it should be
- If you have a number of sites with equipment frequently moving between them, you can easily find specific equipment when needed
- If stolen, the chances of recovering the equipment are greatly enhanced through tracking and being able to notify law enforcement earlier
- If you successfully recover stolen equipment, insurance premiums will not increase when it is time to renew, and some insurers may offer lower premiums because the chances of recovery are greater
- Limiting damage to company/brand reputation in the industry
- Ensuring plant is where you need it, when you need it, every time
- Peace of mind that you have the ability to track expensive equipment and machinery, 24/7
- Save money! The cost of installing fleet management software with trackers is low when compared to the cost of losing heavy plant machinery
Plant equipment represents a large capital investment, so keeping it safe is essential.
There are a number of options available with Tracker 365 for plant, such as an immobiliser and geofencing (to prevent the plant from being taken outside the site perimeter fence.)
Talk to our expert technicians at AJT Installs about the advantages of installing our vehicle software management system and the benefits of asset trackers for plant machinery and equipment.