The value of having the right GPS tracking technology has been highlighted by its use to recover a stolen diesel generator worth £9,000.
The owner of a Hertfordshire based company received an alert through ABAX Equipment Control to notify of the theft of a generator trailer from their business yard at 2am on a Sunday morning.
Through a technique known as geo-fencing, assigning a digital perimeter fence to a location, ABAX was able to alert the customer by SMS message that his equipment had moved outside an area.
Time is of the essence during theft recovery and the proactive nature of ABAX Equipment Control allowed the customer to alert police, and begin the track, trace and recovery from the moment the equipment was removed from site.
Within two hours of receiving the alert he was reunited with his generator trailer and, with the cooperation of the police, it was back at the yard at 4am after being found near Stevenage.
Chris Miller, ABAX UK Chief Executive, said: “Tens of thousands of vehicles, trailers and containers are stolen in the UK every year and one of the best chances of recovery is with GPS tracking technology.
“If there has been a theft of expensive machinery the technology is able to alert straight away by SMS message so the owner can quickly start the process to recover it.
“This was the experience of the ABAX customer in Hertfordshire and we are pleased they and the police were quickly able to relocate the generator and the trailer not far from where it was stolen. before any further expense was incurred.”
The ABAX Equipment Control system is able to monitor equipment that does not have an internal power source and provide detailed digital maps of asset locations and equipment usage logs, showing after-hours use, and service notices can be viewed on a smartphone or laptop.
In order to reduce plant and equipment theft it is essential to have a plan. A five step checklist to help form good habits and reduce risks – including site security, lighting and making use of modern technology.
