Three Van Security Tips That Are Safe as Houses

Just before Christmas, several newspapers reported the plight of engineering company manager Tony Anderton. The 42-year-old was left facing a huge bill after his firm's brand new Volkswagen Crafter van was stolen in Radcliffe, Greater Manchester.

Not only did the thief make off with the £30,000 vehicle and stock worth approximately £10,000, he proceeded to taunt Mr Anderton about the crime via text message, as a company phone had also been left inside the cab. One of the messages received by the company boss read 'Merry Christmas - I've nicked your van'.

Mr Anderton uploaded CCTV footage to the internet in a bid to catch the offender. Unfortunately, the driver made it easy for the thief in this case - he accidentally left the keys in the ignition while he made a delivery. However, many business owners and fleet managers will no doubt sympathise with Mr Anderton all the same.

Van theft can have a devastating impact on a business. Not only does it mean replacing the vehicle, as well as stolen tools and other goods, it creates additional administration costs. Businesses are also likely to face rising insurance premiums and see their productivity drop as a result of vehicle downtime.

Unfortunately, leaving keys in the ignition for a few minutes is all it takes for an opportunist thief to strike. However, the methods used by today's professional thieves are so sophisticated that they often don't even need a key to steal your van.

Here, we offer three van security tips to help ensure your commercial vehicles and their contents don't fall into the hands of criminals this year.

1. Fit an OBD protection device

In recent years, the number of criminals using hi-tech devices to steal vehicles has increased. Instead of hotwiring the car or van manually, thieves plug a laptop into the on-board diagnostics (OBD) port and clone the vehicle's wireless key fob in a matter of minutes.

To stop this happening, fit an ECU/OBD protection device inside your van. Available for vehicles such as the Mercedes Sprinter, Ford Transit and Transit Connect, this security measure covers the OBD socket with a secure box that can only be opened with the correct code or key.

2. Secure your catalytic converters

Many of today's van security complaints concern catalytic converter problems. These devices can be removed from a vehicle in minutes and are attractive to thieves due to their precious metal value. For businesses, replacing a stolen catalytic converter on a van can cost up to £2,000.

Back in 2012, parcel delivery firm GeoPost highlighted the scale of the problem when it revealed that between 50 and 60 catalytic converters had been stolen from its fleet vehicles over a 12-month period. Thankfully, businesses can take steps to prevent catalytic converter theft by installing an alarm system such as CAT Guard or CATLOC. These devices automatically sound an alarm and can also end a text message to the driver if any attempt to remove the converter by cutting the exhaust pipe is made.

3. Use GPS tracking

If thieves do succeed in stealing your van, all is not necessarily lost. You'll have a good chance of recovery if a vehicle telematics system with GPS tracking has been fitted. This means you can monitor the whereabouts of your stolen vehicle and alert the police.

Some professional thieves will have the ability to disable the GPS and avoid detection, but opportunist thieves are unlikely to possess this knowledge.

Affordable van security

Of course, investing in additional security measures can significantly increase the unit cost of your vehicles. However, the financial impact will be considerably smaller if you choose to lease, rather than buy, your vehicles. Many rental vehicles have the latest security technology already fitted. If not, some companies will be happy to install security features for a minimal addition to your monthly hire fee. After all, they have a vested interest in seeing their vehicles return in one piece at the end of the hire agreement!