Equipment is one of the most expensive purchases a landscape fleet owner can make. Unfortunately, the equipment is also one of the most commonly stolen items. With the holidays approaching, fleet owners need to pay close attention to security because the holidays are a very common time for theft. Thieves take advantage of the fact that many people head out of town and aren’t really keeping an eye on equipment for the holidays. There are many ways to prevent equipment theft in the landscaping industry.
To give you some peace of mind for the holidays, our article today will be on how to prevent equipment theft in the landscaping industry.
One of the easiest ways to prevent theft is to store your equipment in a secure area. If you have a location with a garage, secure it with a lock. It is also a good idea to install a security camera system inside and outside. If your equipment must be stored outside, erect a high fence and install some motion sensor lights. If it is feasible, you will also want to install cameras around the area where the equipment is kept. Adding a warning sign with a message that cameras are monitoring the area. This will deter would-be thieves too.
Larger equipment is also a big target for thieves. Try to park equipment in a well-lit area and always keep driveable equipment like trucks and backhoes locked. Secure your trailers with hitch locks that will prevent them from being hauled away. Steering wheel locks can also be purchased so driving away becomes very difficult. If you have particularly expensive equipment, you can install GPS locators on it. This, however, is often costly so fleet owners usually opt for cheaper alternatives.
If you have a physical location where you store things, keep in mind that smaller items such as chainsaws are often targeted by thieves as well. To keep the smaller items safe, you may want to chain them to a wall or other spot over the winter. Thieves will be deterred by the thought of having to struggle to access the equipment. Combine this with motion sensor lights and you should have a very secure location. Many landscapers also mark their equipment with a certain paint scheme so that it is easily spotted is stolen. This can be done on smaller equipment as well as trucks and backhoes. If you are transporting smaller equipment, park in a well-lit area where the fleet can easily watch the items.
Another way to prevent equipment theft in the landscape industry is to record each piece of equipment you own. The data you should store is listed below.
- Make and model number
- Serial number
- Photograph(s) of the item
- Warranty information
Sometimes smaller equipment may lack a serial number but you can easily create your own by simply engraving the item. If you do end up having a theft problem, try to record the data as to when and where the thefts are occurring. You can use the data and decide whether coming back to that location is worth it because of the thefts that have occurred there.
Valley Green sells professional turf products. Visit or call one of our locations to find all of your landscaping fleet needs today!