Do you work in Double Glazing Tewkesbury way or perhaps an electrician in Swindon? If so you probably have a large amount of expensive equipment in your works van and rely on it to get you to and from your clients places of work and domestic premises. Have you thought about what would happen if any of your equipment was stolen and your van broken into?
Whilst you may have thought about insurance so that you can purchase yourself some new equipment should your existing items be taken, you might not have thought about how long this could take and the impact that the delay could have on your business.
There are other measures that you can put in place to help protect your van, equipment and ultimately your business.
Tracking – vehicle tracking devices are a great deterrent for anyone thinking about taking your van as you can effectively track where it is easily making it quick for the police to follow it and recover it for you.
CCTV – if you store your van in the same location each night you might want to invest in CCTV that can help you to monitor it and to give you evidence if you should find yourself in the situation where someone breaks into it to take some of your equipment items.
CCTV, trackers and marked tools
For tradespeople, a van break in costs more than the stolen items. Insurance may pay for replacement tools, but the delay in getting new equipment can mean missed jobs and lost clients, so prevention is worth the effort.
If the van is parked in the same place every night, a CCTV system covering that spot lets you monitor the vehicle and keep a recording of the area. A vehicle tracker helps if the van itself is taken, as it lets you and the police find and recover it, and knowing one is fitted can put thieves off in the first place.
It is also worth marking your equipment. Special paints and marking products put a unique code on tools, so they can be identified if the police recover them or if thieves try to sell them on.
Locks, trackers and markings for work vans
A van is a solid investment, carrying both you and your tools, and thieves target vehicles they think hold expensive equipment. Anyone who has had a van broken into knows how unpleasant it is, so extra protection is worth considering.
Additional exterior locks are one option. Slamlocks add a layer of security that locks the door as it closes, which takes no extra effort, and they are very difficult to break. If the worst happens, a vehicle tracking device can show where the van is. Trackers use GPS, and some also use cellular or radio transmission, giving you a better chance of recovering the van and its contents.
Protection is not only about theft. Reflective livery on the back of the van helps other road users see it, which matters if you carry out road maintenance or work regularly on main roads.