It’s a sobering question, it’s like being asked how secure the front door to your home is, it’s quite personal. And yet, at the same time a vitally important consideration. In this four-part series we look at what we can do to minimize the various threats to our trusty steeds, how to secure them and devices that can help recover them if the absolute worst happens. Afterall, having the peace of mind that the one thing that ensures our livelihood is as secure as is affordably possible is a good place to be.
So, if you were to be asked what the top three most stolen vehicles were in 2019/20, you’d probably say that Range Rovers, Mercedes and maybe Porsches topped out that number. And you’d be right, but wrong – they’re in the top 15. In fact, according to data acquired by a Freedom of Information request to the DVLA by Rapid Car Check, it was a Mercedes - the very adept Mercedes Sprinter 313 CDi was the most stolen vehicle -1,169 in fact. Of those, only 247 were recovered, as opposed to the 362 of the ones stolen in 2019, which numbered 1,466. It’s heartening that that number went down, but yes, ladies and gentlemen, a van was the most stolen vehicle, as were the next five vehicles.
If you’re just picking yourself up from the floor we’ll understand, but what does this tell us? Vans are hot property and will have become even more so now given the current climate. Decent, well maintained, and reliable vans are sought after, so we’d do well to make sure that our own vehicles are as unattractive to steal as possible.
According to the DVLA, the top five most stolen vehicles in 2020 and the numbers stolen were the following:
Mercedes Sprinter 313 CDI - 1,169
Mercedes Sprinter 314 CDI - 860
Ford Transit 350 – 756
Yamaha GPD 125 N Max 125 ABS
Ford Transit 125 T350 RWD
As couriers and hauliers, our van is our tool of trade and if stolen presents us with a serious problem, not to mention initial loss of income and the expense of hiring a replacement one – and if the van you have stolen is still being paid for…well, that’s just a nightmare scenario.... Nothing is guaranteed, but making your vehicle as unattractive as possible to steal is going to give you a fighting chance against those who choose to steal than buy their own! If you run your own business, and a clients’ parcels are taken in the process, there’s a reputation at stake too – it’s not a good reflection on you if a client’s goods are stolen and could cost you future business…reputations built and easily shattered.
Here’s a low down on what items are stolen and the percentage;
Electronic Devices : 25%
Customer supplies : 13.9%
Sale Goods : 16.7%
Personal item’s : 41.7%
Even more revealing was where vans were stolen from:
Drivers Home driveway : 23.5%
Drivers on-street parking : 38.2%
Street Parking : 26.5%
More than a third of businesses have had a van stolen within the last 12 months, a study by Logistics UK has revealed.
A van break-in also puts the average tradesperson out of work for 30 days and costs them £5,982 in missed jobs, on top of the cost of replacing tools and materials, the survey found. For tradespeople, the cost of loss for contents averaged £4,250 in the last 12 months – that’s some hit.
The most immediate question has now got to be, “how can I make my van as secure and unattractive as possible to theft?”. Well, depending on what level of protection you ideally need, you can do various things – the most obvious is ensuring that you’re not allowing temptation by leaving things visible in the cab. Things as insignificant as a charging cable could trigger an opportunistic thief to ‘have a go’…it might be a hassle each time you park up at the end of a shift but you just never know. We could think of it like this - a bare, spartan cab is boring, with no suggestion of anything worth nicking…
The burning question now, and this article is not here to scare you by the way, but to inform and guide – is this “How can I best protect my asset, my van?”
So, in the first part of this series we look at the most audacious means that our vehicles can be stolen – and they don’t even have to get the keys…
Relay Theft – Thieves fool your van!
According to a report by Admiral Insurance, relay theft is on the rise, with a substantial increase since 2014 as technologies have emerged enabling such theft. But what is it?
Relay theft is where thieves use a scanner to break into a vehicle that has a keyless entry system. In practice, two people operate – one goes to the front door and uses a device that scans for keys inside the property – most people leave their keys by the front door, on a hook or table. Once the scanner picks up the signals for the vehicle from the key, it transmits it to a transmitter being held by the second thief by the vehicle – the vehicle receives the signal and fools it into thinking that ‘it’s’ key is being used and unlocks the doors. Enough has been done, and the thieves simply drive it away. It’s then a simple process for them to change the locks and entry systems to the vehicle. It’s not just vans – any vehicle that has keyless entry is at risk to such methods, and the technology being employed by thieves is getting ever more sophisticated. And it doesn’t stop there, the costs increase – it’s not just the cost of replacing any vehicle, according to a report by driving.co.uk, premiums could rise by as much as £626 after a car theft.
Blockers
In order to stop would-be thieves from being able to successfully scan your keys unique coding, the most effective way is to keep them in what’s known as a Blocker – a box that has a thick metal lining built within the skin that ‘blocks’ the scanner from doing its villainous work. They also take the form of pocket pouches, ensuring that your keys are protected whilst you’re out on foot.
Ironstripe Car Key Signal Blocker & Faraday Pouch
Double protection – two layers of signal blocking materials.
Large enough for additional key storage.
Faraday pouch included providing you with further piece of mind.
Smart looking and functional.
Latit Large Faraday Box
Latit have catered for households with multiple vehicles requiring protection with this Blocker!
Sufficient space for up to 6 key fobs.
100% Protection with Lifetime Warranty.
MONOJOY Faraday Pouch and Credit Card Holder
Monojoy have included two pouches in this package, so you can protect both your keys and credit/access cards too.
Building access key fobs
Security/access cards
Credit cards
Thumb drives
Wi-Fi cards
Garage remotes
At couriersdepot.com, we do our utmost to research the market so that we provide you, our fellow courier, with the best quality kit from source to help you get through the day.
Couriersdepot.com – For Couriers, by Couriers indeed, for all drivers!
Stay Safe Out There!
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