We read yet another article about a stolen truck and had to shake our heads.
Why in the world did the truck driver
walk away from his truck while it was running (obviously with the key
in the ignition)?
Perhaps it was the case that the driver thought:
Regardless of what went on in the trucker's mind, the rig was stolen -- along with everything he did not take inside the store with him.
Truck
theft -- that is, the stealing of commercial motor
vehicles -- is not as uncommon as some people might
think.
A search for the keyword "stolen" on the trucking news listed on ClassADrivers.com's Dec 11 feed shows quite a number of articles about this activity.
And in case you're wondering, yes, at least one trucker had a truck stolen out of a truck stop in December 2011.(1)
Plan ahead properly.
There are some low cost and common sense ways for truck drivers to protect their tractor trailers from being stolen.
This includes the whole rig, just the tractor, or just the trailer.
Separately, there are also ways to help prevent cargo from being stolen.
Also separately, there are ways to help avert a hijacking situation.
But those are topics for another time.
So, let's get into specifics...
One
of the trucks that Mike drove had a Magtec vehicle
disabling system installed in it.
A photo of the keypad and warning sticker is shown here.
The warning sticker reads:
"This vehicle is protected by a remote disabling system. When activated, the system will cause the vehicle to gradually stop. Stopping in traffic may cause serious injury or death to yourself or others. Find a safe place to pull over and stop. Place reflective triangles to maximize visibility. No person can override the system."
As a theft deterrent, all
trucks in the fleet
that
had this kind of a disabling device installed also had a warning
sticker applied
to the driver side window above the FMCSA inspection sticker.
We're sure that there are probably other measures that truckers can use to help prevent truck thieves from perpetrating a stolen tractor trailer crime.
Let us know which measures you use or would like to use to prevent having a stolen truck.
Money saving tip:
Besides the tips listed above, part of any good program of preventing
truck theft is to look at your truck from the perspective of potential
truck thieves.
Ask yourself:
Do yourself a favor and evaluate your whole truck from that perspective.
Sometimes the simplest things are quite effective in preventing a stolen tractor trailer.
Carelessness and being off-guard for even 30 seconds can lead to a stolen truck as an October 2010 article from CBS News reported.
Protect your job and your career by taking safety precautions at all times.
Return from Stolen Truck! Steps to Protect Your Tractor Trailer from Thieves to our Truck Operations page or our Truck Drivers Money Saving Tips home page.
References
1. http://asktrucker.com/2011/12/27/semi-carrying-40k-in-dairy-products-stolen-from-punta-gorda-pilot-truck-stop/ (no longer online)
2. http://www.layover.com/forums/layovers-lounge/t-stolen-71220.html (no longer online)