Best options for fleet security

Like with many security questions, how you secure your fleet depends in large part on the nature of your fleet. Requirements for a taxi fleet, for example, are going to be different than for a building contractor fleet. Generally, the difference in the level of security necessary will depend on how a vehicle is used, how valuable the vehicle is, and whether anything of value needs to be left in it unattended.

Here are some great options for fleet security.

Immobilisers

An immobiliser is a significant deterrent for actually stealing a vehicle. They can work in different ways; some work through proximity to a key fob, others work by inputting a series of button presses anywhere in the vehicle before the car can be started.

If each vehicle in your fleet has an immobiliser with a code that only the drivers know, it’s going to make it nearly impossible for a thief to get away with the vehicle. In order to get past an immobiliser, they’d have to spend hours tracking down the wires in order to rewire the ignition system. That’s something that most thieves have neither the time nor knowledge to do. And when combined with other security measures, such as a loud alarm and phone alarm notifications, most thieves aren’t going to bother.

As nothing of value is left in a taxi overnight, taxi fleets don’t necessarily have to consider significant anti-entry methods. Thieves are only likely to target taxi vehicles in the hopes of stealing the vehicle itself. That’s where immobilisers prove invaluable.

Many of the tips we wrote about for personal vehicle security also apply here, but here are some great tips specifically for keeping your fleet safe.

Fleet tracking

Regardless of your industry, fleet tracking is a great option - not only in order to keep track of a large fleet of vehicles, but to also alert you when a vehicle is moved from a safe location.

If you only have three contractor vans, you may not think that being able to track their location is a significant benefit. After all, they may even all be driven to the same job site on a daily basis. But the benefits that come with a fleet tracking system are also anti-theft benefits.

Depending on where you keep your vehicles, being able to set geo-fences can quickly alert you if your vehicle is moved from where it should be.

The same applies for larger fleets, such as for freight. Despite the inherent value in a lorry (they’re really expensive), it’s comparatively difficult to actually steal them. So thieves will target their contents instead.

Proximity Sensors

Fleet vehicles that are kept in a known location overnight can also be armed with proximity sensor alarms. They’re discrete sensors that can set off audible alarms and/or push notifications if someone gets too close to a vehicle.

Some modern systems are also able to arm and disarm the alarms through a phone app. So it’s a simple case of giving a particular driver permission to arm and disarm the alarm.

Aftermarket Locks

Especially for vehicles like contractor vans, having to remove all valuable contents every night takes a significant amount of time, and also requires putting those tools somewhere else that’s secure.

Considering many contractors have their tools organised in a particular way in their vans, removing all tools at night and essentially reorganising them every morning is a serious time-drain. You would invest in security for your workshop, so treat your van (or fleet of vans) as a workshop on wheels.

Aftermarket locks are a great visual deterrent to a thief – and the more the merrier. Heavy duty van locks can be welded to the door of your van for added strength, and there are various other ways to use aftermarket locks for your vehicle too. If it does have obvious, large, heavy duty locks, it’s going to take a lot more effort for a thief to get in.

Steering Wheel Lock

This is the most traditional security method, but it’s a comparatively cheap and highly effective method for deterring thieves. It makes driving a stolen vehicle extremely difficult, if not impossible. As such, and considering the difficulty of removing steering wheel locks without a key, thieves are usually going to move on to a less secure vehicle.

Need help with your fleet security?

If you need to upgrade your fleet security, get in touch with your local Kwik Fit centre for advice on how best to do so.