Having your trailer stolen, whether you are part of a commercial logistics business or someone with a trailer hooked up to the back of a car, is a frustrating experience and one that will make you wish that you were using the latest trailer tracking devices. An insurance payout often doesn’t cover the true value of the things that were in the stolen trailer, and if you are transporting equipment for your business, like in the case of tradespeople, you will have lost all of the tools that were painstakingly personalized to the way that you work.
No matter what you are transporting, it is important to take the right steps to prevent your trailer from being stolen in the first place, and that you can track it if in fact it is taken.
According to the 2020 BSI & TT Club Cargo Theft Report, around 86% of cargo theft in North America is carried out on commercial trucks with thieves more often preferring to steal entire trailers and trucks rather than breaking in and unloading cargo. And when we consider that the cargo theft industry is worth anywhere between $15-$35 billion in the USA alone, we can see how important trailer security is, for both commercial enterprises and everyday people.
Regardless of what kind of trailer you have whether it is a truck trailer, a camper, a horse float, or any other trailer type, you can follow these tips to ensure that your trailer and everything loaded on it is kept secure.
The Most Common Methods to Prevent Trailer Theft
Lock Everything Down
Locking everything down as much as possible should be the first thing that you do when it comes to trailer security. If you have a camper trailer, this is going to involve making sure that every door and window is closed and locked when unattended, and it is a good idea to close the blinds on windows to remove temptation from prowling eyes.
Another great idea for campers and any type of regular car trailer, 6×4 trailer, and truck trailer, is to invest in a coupling lock or a hitch lock. These ensure that your trailer can’t be hooked up onto a vehicle without first being unlocked, preventing thieves from easily driving away with it. These are also great because many different types of lock can be left on while the trailer is attached to your vehicle, preventing anyone from uncoupling the trailer while you are parked up overnight. There is a wide range of these locks, the two most common ones being a pad lock or a cylinder lock, both of which fit over the kingpin of the trailer.
Additionally, wheel clamps can be fitted to any trailer type, from regular car trailers to commercial truck trailers, and are easy to lock and unlock. And because they are easily visible, they also act as a deterrent.
Park Smart
Every trucker will know this one, and it is something that we can all abide by. Campers should aim to park around other campers and in well lit areas, and truckers should choose overnight parking spots that are well lit and have security cameras. It is generally best to park your trailer in a garage so that it is hidden from view when you are not using it, and if you have to leave it in the driveway, be sure to position it so that the tow coupling is facing away from the road so it is not presented as an easy opportunity for a thief. The best option that you can choose, though, is the latest trailer tracking tech.
Why You Need the Latest GPS Technology
Even if you follow the above tips, there is no real guarantee that a crafty thief can’t overcome your security measures, however it is important to know that you can utilize the latest GPS technology to prevent your trailer from being stolen. The #1 thing that you can do to prevent or recover from trailer theft is to be prepared when it happens.
X-Point GPS tracking systems can do much more than just show you where your trailer has gone on a map as well. These GPS tracking systems are designed to also provide you with movement alerts that track speed and alert you when the trailer is moving when it should be parked, which also allows logistics companies to easily track the speeds of their drivers to avoid speeding issues.
They can also give you Geofence alerts, which is a great tool that alerts you whenever your trailer crosses a virtual perimeter. You can set your route as your virtual perimeter, or the neighborhood where you stay, and you will be alerted as soon as the GPS picks up that the trailer has travelled outside of that perimeter, allowing you to act sooner.
Because these tracking systems are well known, using one will also likely save you money on your insurance premiums since insurance companies are going to be happy when you can recover your property instead of having to make a hefty payout. The added bonus of being able to easily recover your trailer also means avoiding the rigmarole of making an insurance claim and losing time waiting on the process.
The X-Point GPS trailer tracking system can provide you with 24/7 asset tracking, location data, and it helps in recovering stolen assets by tracking every stop that the trailer makes. This is extremely helpful for logistics companies who need to see where cargo has been unloaded in order to recover stolen valuables that are removed from the trailer along its journey. The battery life on these GPS systems can also last for years so that you are not at risk of the system failing, and when the batteries do get low, you receive a warning well in advance.
All of these capabilities are condensed into an easy to manage app that you can access through your smart phone so that you can manage your trailer’s security with the push of a button. X-Point GPS also offers call and text notifications to ensure that you are alerted as soon as possible.