As the backbone of our society, the UK’s van fleet drives our economy and is allowing millions of workers to carry out jobs that are critical to supporting our communities during these challenging times.

Commercial vehicles are the lifeblood of many UK businesses, and as such will play a vital part in helping our economy to bounce back as we recover from the Covid-19 crisis.

Often left unattended for long periods, and usually containing expensive tools and equipment, light commercial vehicles can, unfortunately, be easy targets for thieves.

Having your van broken into or stolen can not only be very stressful in terms of having to deal with insurers and police, but also result in days or even weeks of lost work as you go through the hassle of replacing tools and equipment.

Below are our top tips to help prevent your commercial vehicle from being stolen:

Secure Parking

Park in a well-lit area or in a car park with CCTV .  This will definitely help reduce the possibility of unwanted attention since thieves will normally pick easier targets.

When there are no well lit or CCTV covered spaces available or if you have more than one vehicle, parking them defensively can also help. By parking behind other vehicles or positioning a van so that the doors are blocked by another vehicle or object can be a very good deterrent.

Do you keep your work van at home most nights? If your driveway is gloomy, think about installing motion-sensor lighting to further deter would-be thieves. If you have a garage that’s large enough to hold your van, make sure to tuck it away there every night.

Always lock your van when it’s unattended

It may seem obvious, but a locked van can be the difference between receiving an insurance pay-out or not. After locking your van always check to make sure your van is secure and don’t rely purely on visual signs or familiar clicks – even when you’re working on site and coming and going throughout the day.

Never leave your windows open, and never leave your keys in the van unattended, even if popping out for a few seconds to make a delivery or jump into a store – most insurers won’t cover you from theft in these circumstances.

Remove expensive tools and equipment from your vans

Don’t just have a sign stating ‘No tools left in van overnight’ – actually remove them at the end of each working day. If you are staying in a hotel, where possible remove your tools from your van and keep them in your room overnight. If you must leave anything valuable in the van, make sure it’s not visible.

You can invest in secure toolboxes to make it tricky for thieves to break into them or remove, but this may not stop a thief from making off with them altogether.  Keep a list of tools, together with serial numbers and any identifying marks. This will help to trace them back to you if they are recovered, following a theft.

Don’t leave behind valuables or any signs of them

Forgetting to hide or remove any valuables from your vehicle is an open invitation to thieves. Signs of gadgets like satnav wires or holders might be all that’s needed for them to break into your vehicle. Frustratingly, even if they do not walk away with any valuables, this can leave you with a damaged vehicle and costly repairs.

Using stickers as a visual deterrent

Stickers can act as a low-cost visual deterrent to thieves. You may have seen vehicles on the road with the messaging “No valuables are left in this vehicle overnight” or “This vehicle is fitted with a GPS tracking device”, as some examples of this.

Keeping your key fob safe

You may have heard about key fobs being hacked.  This involves thieves using a device that communicates with the legitimate key fob, and can unlock and even start the car.

However, there’s a really simple way to avoid these ‘relay attacks’: by keeping your key in a ‘Faraday sleeve’. These little pouches work by blocking the radio transmissions and are cheap and easy to get hold of.

Preventing the ‘peel and steal’

‘Peel and steal’ is a way of wrenching the door off a van without needing any specific tools. However, being conscious of where and how you park your van could be a really easy way to prevent it.

To protect your side door, make sure you park your van next to a wall. Rear doors can also be a weak point, so if you have barn doors, reverse park against a building to buffer your van’s security.

No matter which approach you take to protect your vehicle, the key thing to remember is that the harder you make it for a thief, the more likely it is that they will ignore your van.

 

What to do if your vehicle has been stolen?

Report your vehicle as stolen

Tell the police and your insurance company straight away if your vehicle has been stolen.

Call your local police station

Dial 101 and ask to be put through to your local police.

Make sure you have your vehicle’s:

• registration number
• make and model
• colour

You’ll get a crime reference number. You’ll need this when you call your insurance company.

The police will tell DVLA about the theft and if the vehicle is found.

For all KINTO customers, our expert fleet consultants can provide you with details of the additional security measures that are available to maximise the security of your commercial vehicles. This information will enable you to make an informed decision on how best to protect your business from vehicle theft.

If the worst were to happen and your business was a victim of van theft, we are committed to helping you get your drivers back on the road as quickly as possible.