Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/330408
32 | ZZZFHGPDJFRP | Construction Equipment Distribution | June 2014 Theft hydraulic excavator (which is as tall as an elephant and weighs twice as much) should be more difficult. Half of the nearly 11,000 pieces of equipment reported stolen in 2012 were riding mowers and garden tractors, which, like tool theft, is a whole other matter. Further- more, while utility trucks and trailers are a popular target for thieves, such stealing falls more in the category of vehicle and auto theft. Those caveats aside, the equipment swiped in 2012 included 1,459 wheeled and tracked tractors (the NER report covers both ag and construction equipment), 307 excavators, 145 dozers, 175 wheel loaders and 563 back- hoes. Slightly smaller stolen machines like skid-steer loaders (1,205) and fork lifts (287) complete the dismal picture. Preoccupied With T-4 The manufacturing industry response to this ongoing dilemma has been underwhelming. Al Cervero, construc- tion sector vice president at Associated Equipment Manu- facturers (AEM) acknowledges that equipment theft is a low priority among association members, but he blames that on regulatory pressures. "In my conversations with manufacturers, this topic has not even been on the horizon," said Cervero, whose industry background was in the crane business. "They are sensitive to the issue, as are dealers. However, billions of dollars of engineering over the last five years have been spent to be able to produce equipment that can operate in the U.S. by meeting Tier-4 engine standards. "Every single dollar spent has had that in mind, meet- ing the EPA standards, and now they are being asked to account for 'conflict materials' in every product. The amount of money spent on regulations that have no value to the industry is the No. 1 deterrent to looking at some other issues, like antitheft measures," he said. Some industry companies have developed antitheft products for the industry. Doosan Portable Power, for example, introduced a mobile video surveillance system that was triggered by movement and could be operated uninterrupted for six months. While the product seemed effective, it was discontinued without explanation. The company now offers independently powered light towers to brighten equipment parking areas. For 30 years, LoJack Corp. has had a lock on one segment of the equipment security industry. Its founder developed electronic tracking units that are furtively fitted on machines, with signal-receiving stations placed in the hands of law enforcement agencies. Fifteen years ago, the company expanded its market to offer the units to heavy equipment owners. Today, more than 200,000 pieces of construction machinery in this country carry a LoJack unit, according to Courtney DeMilio, associate vice president for LoJack Commercial. Asked about the actual impact of LoJack devices on equipment thefts across the country, DeMilio says thieves are more tentative as a result. "We've noticed that people now will steal equipment and then put it somewhere for a couple of days to see if the police spot and recover it. More recoveries are happening like that." In other words, the LoJack system is more about recovery of a machine than preventing its theft. DeMilio concedes as much. "Prevention is very important and there are all sorts of things for that like fences and locks and GPS systems. But the truth is, there is nothing 100 percent effective. We want to help an equipment owner get his asset back when it's stolen. Our primary focus is recovery." Yet even systematic recovery of stolen equipment has a long way to go. Just 20 percent of machines stolen are returned to their owners, according to the NICB. That is up from 10 percent or less a dozen years ago, but still means that just two in 10 machines come home again. How Theft Happens National Equipment Register has some 25 million pieces of equipment listed in its computers. That wealth of infor- mation is tapped by police, sheriff, highway patrol, and federal law enforcement agencies whenever equipment goes missing. It is, says Shepherd, "the closest thing out there to an ownership database." The NER and NICB have been issuing their annual theft report since 2005, long enough for trends to surface. It is known that most thefts occur from jobsites or other locations away from equipment yards. Newer equipment appeals most to thieves for obvious reasons, with almost half of stolen machinery being five years old or less. Law enforcement won't randomly stop a trucker hauling equip- ment, but if the truck is stopped for another cause, some of- ficers will (and should) check out what's on the trailer and run it through the system. ´6:,3('µFRQWLQXHGIURPSDJH FRQWLQXHGRQSDJH