4 Main Reasons Why Criminals Target Trucks
Why Thieves Target Truck Yards & How to Stop Them
If you operate or manage a truck yard, you likely understand the threat posed by criminals. Thieves frequently target these sites, and this can be incredibly costly and disruptive to your business. Criminals do more than just cost companies money in stolen goods.
Criminals also cause significant damage. For instance, if someone breaks into your yard, they may damage your fence and cause damage to your trucks and trailers as well. Then you’ll be faced with not only a financial loss, but you’ll also have to deal with the annoyance and hassle of completing the necessary repairs.
This is why it’s important to not just implement a system that alerts you to crimes, but one that also deters criminals from striking in the first place. How can you do this? Figuring out why criminals target truck yards can help you find the answer. Here are some reasons why truck yards are common targets for thieves.
The Assets Inside Trailers
Many trucks and trailers are holding valuable assets. When criminals strike a property, they want to get as many valuables as they can in as little time as possible. Trucks and trailers are ideal targets for this purpose. A criminal can potentially steal hundreds of thousands of dollars in assets (and often much more) by striking a single trailer.
Plus, these assets are often quite easy to sell on the black market, so they don’t need to hold onto them for long and they can quickly profit from their crime.
The Ease of the Crime
Another reason why criminals strike trucks and trailers is that the crimes are relatively easy. Most trailers aren’t difficult to break into, even if they’re locked, and trucks can literally be driven off the lot if a criminal knows what they’re doing. There are even cases where crooks steal a truck from one property, then drive it to another, attempt to attach a trailer to it, and drive it away.
The Size of the Truck Yard
The size and scope of most truck yards makes them difficult places to protect and easy places for criminals to strike. Truck lots are large and give criminals many places to hide. Even if security guards are on site, they can’t see the entire property at once.
Most truck yards have many potential entry points as well, and this makes it easier for criminals to strike. These security flaws are magnified when it’s dark. In low light, it can be very tough for guards to see what is happening in and around the yard.
The Ineffectiveness of Many Truck Yard Security Systems
As mentioned, security guards at a yard cannot possibly watch everything that’s happening at the property. Many yards also have unmonitored cameras, but since this footage is usually only watched after a crime has taken place, it doesn’t deter criminals.
In fact, many truck yard crimes happen without anyone noticing for quite some time. Criminals know this and they know that the likelihood of them being caught and punished for their crimes is very low.
Improving Truck Yard Security
The good news is that truck yard security can be improved. By understanding the current weaknesses in most truck yard security plans and recognizing why criminals strike these properties, it becomes clear what can be done to prevent crimes.
Truck yards require extensive and comprehensive monitoring to keep them safe. Onsite guards can’t be everywhere at once, no matter how many are on the property.
However, live remote monitoring cameras can be positioned so remote security agents can watch the entire property 24/7. This provides a significant increase in security. Plus, the monitoring system also includes two-way speakers, which allow agents to communicate directly with the site.
Not only do these tools provide more comprehensive security, but they are also often more cost effective.
Another advantage to live remote monitoring is that high-definition cameras allow agents to view the yard even in conditions that are not ideal, such as at night. Security guards usually have trouble seeing in these situations, but that isn’t an issue with live monitoring.
For more information on live remote monitoring services and how these tools can improve truck yard security, please do not hesitate to contact Birdseye Security Solutions today.