Heavy Equipment Security Question

[travislakerat]

Hey Everyone.

I am a relative newby and wanted to get your opinion or feedback on what everyone uses to prevent/recover theft. As a new start up I have purchased a skid steer, backhoe, chipper, 25 ft flatbed gooseneck and a 16 foot tandem dual dump trailer. I am all freaked out about getting anything stolen. I essentially borrowed for the whole company on a signature so the machines are mine out right and I don't feel like losing any of the 85k I am into it.

Does everyone insure everything, or only the expensive stuff? I was thinking of insuring the skid steer and the back hoe and possibly putting lojack on the trailers. Any input? My shotgun only works if I'm there..... lol

[bubbas45]

I have the same questions. I am also wondering if anyone has experience with any safety devices, like those sold here: http://www.equipmentlock.com/index.html.

I've bought a DaPlug lock for the lunette on my trailer (http://www.trailerlocksonline.com/daplug.shtml), and a pitbull wheel lock combo for the trailer (http://www.tirelock.com/product.php?cid=3).

The skid steer I just bought has LoJack, but I'd rather it not get stolen in the first place.

thanks, bws

[Digdug]

I put insurance on the large stuff and bite the bullet on the small. You never think it will happen to you , but I had a new Cat 257 skid steer track loader stolen from my job a couple of years ago. Thank god i had insurance on it still. They gave me $2500 to rent another one for a month , and paid me everything i wanted for the machine. Worked out good.

I think i would like to put lojack on my new one but havent yet.

[Scag48]

One word: insurance. Other than that, put a night switch on the machines to disconnect battery power, maybe get Lo-Jack, that's about all you can do on the upfitting side of things. Park you equipment in such a way that deters people from stealing it. It's proven that if equipment is lined up at night, it spooks thieves. I read this huge article in Equipment World about 2 years ago regarding theft, they interviewed a guy who used to steal iron for a living and he basically spilled everything. Fake antennas freak thieves out as well, they think there might be some weird tracking system installed. We all know Lo-Jack is hidden, but the antennas sound pretty sweet. Sometimes people are just out to ruin someone's equipment and not even steal it, so Lo-Jack doesn't do you any good if all they want to do is start it up and trash it. It's also important to have both machines on site equipped the same, not just the expensive machine. If they can get one started and not the other, it's possible that they might take one machine and trash the other.

[bobcat_ron]

The biggest problem I have here (other than theft/vandalism) is fuel theft, getting clever with fuel caps and locks is essential, even the best OEM locked caps are easy to rip off.

[RockSet N' Grade]

Scag called it a "night switch". I have them installed to disconnect juice. Also have locking fuel caps. Also, if possible, not leave stuff on site even though it may cost a bit more or park 'em real close together under lights. Have insurance too......Probably overkill sometimes, but thievery can put you under if you are not properly prepared for the worst.

[kreft]

We have the skid out on the job know, and we just get to be good friends with all the guards, and why told them to look after the equipment and to pass it on to other guards and my dad came back the following night with the pick-up to fuel up, and the guard came right out and came over to see what was happening. We are lucky have to guards on site, but i know even with guards you can still lose equipment. we put locks on the trailer and the back door, and we put a differnt lock on the front door, so you cant get in with the usually key. will that be enough, hopfully we'll never know.

[RockSet N' Grade]

I thought of another idea which I will follow through with for myself. I am going to buy "security stickers" that say lo-jack or something similar and post the on the windows....I know people do that with their homes, why not equipment? Anything that deters.....

[AWJ Services]

Insure everything.The small stuff ads little too your expense insurance wise.
If they just steal a blower then you eat it, but if they get everything then at least you can get the small stuff replaced as well.

[Dirt Digger2]

some of us can't have guards looking over everything, haha

we put pad locks on everything...fuel, hydraulic tanks, hoods...then the trackloaders and trackhoes have built in locks that work with the machine key. Also on the backhoes we pull the quick disconnect going to the fuel pump then lock the hood closed...

the fact of the matter is thieves will get something they really want so insurance is your fall back

[Gravel Rat]

Fuel theft has to be the worst of them all. If the crime/stealing etc is that bad then hire a night watchman and charge the customer.

Where my brother worked they locked everything up in a shipping container locked up and the cutting torches locked in side. Theives had their own torches cut the can open stole everything.

The best theft deterent is a 220 volt hot wire to each machine the criminal touches the machine they get a good jolt :laugh:

[kreft]

If it was in a shipping container how did they know what was in there?

[Gravel Rat]

The place was fenced off they were doing some steel fabrication so anybody driving or walking by knew what tools on the site were. With the price of copper being so high the theives were after the welding cables and stole all the tools. The theives in Vancouver are even cutting live high voltage power lines that are engergized :dizzy:

It is the enviromentalist that sabotage your equipment is the worst part like smashing the windows or dumping stuff into the fuel. Thats what I hate the most is these idiots that don't have nothing better to do and damage other peoples property and or equipment.

Scrap metal theft has been the worst crime so far. People going into peoples yards and steeling aluminum and copper even steel. Now the price of scrap cars and oversize scrap metal is up to 200 dollars a ton. A friend in the radiator business got ripped off thousands of dollars worth of used and new rad cores stolen.

[YellowDogSVC]

Hey Everyone.

I am a relative newby and wanted to get your opinion or feedback on what everyone uses to prevent/recover theft. As a new start up I have purchased a skid steer, backhoe, chipper, 25 ft flatbed gooseneck and a 16 foot tandem dual dump trailer. I am all freaked out about getting anything stolen. I essentially borrowed for the whole company on a signature so the machines are mine out right and I don't feel like losing any of the 85k I am into it.

Does everyone insure everything, or only the expensive stuff? I was thinking of insuring the skid steer and the back hoe and possibly putting lojack on the trailers. Any input? My shotgun only works if I'm there..... lol

I spend alot on insurance for about the same equipment you have. I have a big Vermeer bc2000 chipper with loader instead of a backhoe and it's harder to steal (I think) if I put outriggers down and unfold the arm. I worry more about the skids and attachments and hate leaving anything. My insurance is good but expensive and I have the replacement value on my rider so that I can replace the machine and not just get what they think it's worth.

I use cable locks, big locks and binder chain and I try to hide the equipment if I have to leave it. Sometimes it keeps me up at night until I remember how much my insurance bill was.

[travislakerat]

Looks like the reality is, only insurance will replace the loss. I appreciate all the input. The area here is not necessarily crime ridden, but you never know.

The insurance I checked on was kind of high, but I need to take the plunge. Has anyone added a coded keyless engine cutoff? This might reduce the theft if is really made the thief work.

[DUSTYCEDAR]

pull the relays out of the machines thieves dont carry them most of the time but everyone has a pocket of fuses.

[ken gustafson]

I have been there...understand the thinking and am doing my best to try and stop the thefts. Shall have more trailer locks when the Patent Office gets moving along. Until then all I have for sale is on my website. www.trailerlocksonline.com Ken