Five Tips to Protect Your Tools

For many van owners, their tools are their livelihood. Here are five important tips to follow if you want to protect them from theft.

Avoid Complacency

Rather than only worrying about how safe your tools are when visiting bad areas, it pays to remain aware of theft risks at all times. With an ongoing van break-in epidemic taking place at the moment, there is no sense in assuming that you are ever in an entirely secure position.

Instigate Regular Checks

When out of a job, you may need to leave your vehicle unattended while you are working elsewhere. If this is necessary, it is a good idea to come back to it at regular intervals to see that nothing is amiss.

When you are needed elsewhere, protect tools left on board with van locks from http://www.vehicle-accessories.net/Security/Van-Locks/Deadlocks-Van-Locks. Lockable drawers and compartments within the vehicle itself are also a good investment.

Choose Parking Spots Carefully

Most van theft is carried out by opportunist crooks who pick soft targets. So rather than leaving your LCV in an area which is off the beaten track and makes their work easier, pick a place to park which is inherently secure.

This includes a dedicated parking garage or public car park which is covered by security cameras and has plenty of lighting at all times.

Add Identifying Marks

There are various solutions available to tag tools so that they can be identified as belonging to you if they are stolen and eventually recovered by the police. SmartWater is a popular option, but such advanced systems are costly to implement, and it may be cheaper and just as effective to etch your contact details on to any valuable items.

Embrace Insurance

There is no way to guarantee that your tools will never be stolen from your van or from the premises of your business. Because of this, you should prepare for worst-case scenarios by getting adequate insurance to cover precious equipment.

Remember that you can usually provide full details about tools, including things like serial numbers, to insurers so that claims can be processed faster and with a higher rate of success. Also, remember to adhere to the requirements of any policy so that you do not fall foul of the small print and find it impossible to claim after a theft.