Why you should get a tracker for your van

Does your work van have a tracker? Find out why it’s so important to protect your van, and how fitting a tracker can help.

Studies show that professional van tools are worth £2,500 on average, which costs £4.4 billion yearly to replace. This translates to not working for six days, which leads to a loss of £5.2 billion per year.

What’s more, findings suggest that the annual van theft rate in the UK will rise to more than 20,000 by 2030. This is the time to take action! Keep reading this guide by Trackershop to understand how to protect your van. 

Why fit a tracker?

Installing a GPS tracker to the van cannot physically prevent your vehicle from being stolen, but it can trace it so that you can get it back. Tracking devices like these provide instant alerts and live location services. The majority of vans today already come with an app which has a GPS feature. Make sure you put that to good use so that you can increase your chances of retrieving the van in the unfortunate case it gets stolen. 

Additional van security tips

Here are four more ways in which you can ensure your van’s safety, in addition to fitting a tracker.

1) Plan your parking

It’s a good idea to park the van in well lit areas and in crowded places where people can see it. It’s also efficient to look for parking spots that have CCTV systems. You should also consider wireless home security systems. Installing contact sensors and wireless cameras that you link to the home alarm is also extremely useful. You should do it when you park your van nearby. 

2) Look after your keys

The easiest theft method is stealing the key to the vehicle. This is why it’s important to be aware of where your van key is at all times. Since keyless entry models are increasing in popularity when it comes to commercial vans, you need to take such relay attacks into consideration, as well.

This type of car theft refers to criminals using electronic devices that extend the wireless signal from the key to the vehicle. This enables thieves to enter and start your van even though the physical key is still in your possession. Faraday pouches and key boxes are the solution to this problem. 

3) Fit upgraded alarms and immobilisers

While it’s true that some vans already have alarms fitted by the factory, there are plenty of models that don’t. This is where you should step in and make it more difficult for thieves to steal your van.

Fitting high-quality alarms and immobilisers help increase the level of complexity when it comes to car theft. It’s important to only get Thatcham approved systems. 

4) Use physical deterrents 

There are physical theft-prevention devices you can use for van theft. Such deterrents include gear lever locks, pedal locks, and steering-wheel locks. They’re all referred to as clamps. You need to make sure that they’re Thatcham approved. Such devices are able to slow down thieves and even make them change their mind about stealing your van, as it makes criminals put in extra effort.