HOW TO PREVENT YOUR VAN FROM GETTING PINCHED
As a courier your van is your workhorse. If you were the Lone Ranger it would ‘Trigger’ the horse, if you were Michael Knight it would be ‘KITT’ the car, basically, without your van you would be lost. Sadly thousands of vans are stolen each year and couriers have to make claims through their insurance companies. With this in mind we’ve taken a sneak peek at van security and looked at methods you can adopt to prevent your van from getting nicked.
1) Fit an alarm: Even a basic alarm will sound when somebody is tampering with your van and it acts as an early warning device. Get an alarm fitted and if you hear the siren sounding in the middle of the night you can leap out of bed and send the van thieves packing.
2) Install an immobiliser: If you fit an alarm it’s worth installing an immobiliser at the same time that isolates the engine and prevents it from starting. Thieves might be able to get inside the vehicle but they won’t be driving it away if there’s an immobiliser armed and ready for action.
3) Use a tracker: Some thieves are better than others. They can bypass alarms and if they have enough time they might be able to work their way around an immobiliser as well. Hide a tracking device inside the vehicle and you’ll be able to monitor its movements via GPS technology and the police can nab the criminals behind the wheel.
4) Fit steering locks and handbrake locks: Make life as difficult as possible for thieves and slip metal locks over the steering wheel and the gearshift. It’ll slow them down if they try to pinch your van and there’s a good chance they’ll give up and look for another vehicle.
5) Park your van in a garage: Keep your van out of sight and secure it in a garage or lock-up fitted with an alarm overnight. If you have to park the van on the road make sure it’s under a streetlight so criminal are in the spotlight if they attempt to take your commercial.
The Goods in Transit Direct Team