 | Canadian Stolen Vehicle Database |  | National Equipment Register |  |
||||
 | Crime Stoppers |  | Equipment ID Manual Recent Theft List |
The costs associated with stolen heavy equipment is estimated to be over $1 billion dollars a year by some estimates considering equipment costs, downtime, rental replacement, project overrun penalties, and management costs. The problem is getting worse as the Insurance Services Office, Inc. reports an increase of up to 20% in the value of equipment thefts each year since 1996.
Mechanics Hub acknowledges and supports efforts by The National Equipment Register, CPIC and law enforcement agencies both in Canada and the U.S. as well as online databases in helping to combat the growing epidemic of stolen heavy equipment.
Protect yourself.
Dealers, shops, and construction sites are all vulnerable to theft. You need to be aware of methods to ensure their equipment is secure and protected against theft. Check out theft prevention tips below.
Identify stolen equipment and prevent fraud.
Verify equipment identification information with equipment registry and stolen equipment databases to ensure purchases are genuine and you investment is sound.
Theft Prevention Tips
Tip 1 Mark the equipment with company contact information. Inscribing your companies name and contact information on the bucket, boom, and frame of the equipment will deter criminals from stealing the equipment. Criminals will be uneasy about stealing equipment that has obvious and difficult to remove identifiers.
Tip 2 Upgrade your Caterpillar key ignition system to computer coded ignitions systems. Caterpillar has announced they will be offering new key ignition systems that will prevent thieves from bypassing the ignition through hotwiring. The systems can be purchased from a local Caterpillar dealer.
Tip 3 Clearly display signs that advertise a GPS security system that tracks the equipment if stolen. This is a good theft deterrent as criminals will be less likely to steal equipment that can be tracked. Having an actually GPS tracking system installed on the equipment is a bonus, but a sign should be displayed regardless.
Theft Map
Source NER (www.ner.net): The Theft Map displays a select listing of recent equipment losses from around the country. It is a work in progress and is not indicative of all losses reported to NER. Markers are designated by City and Zip code and do not reflect exact location of theft.
