NER Tips for Preventing Equipment Theft
January 23rd, 2009by Drew Roberts, CPCU, ARM
In yesterday’s article, I discussed the National Equipment Register and the services they provide to equipment owners. When I reviewed their website, I came across the following Brochure with Tips for Preventing Equipment Theft. Please take the time to read this information and incorporate it into your employee handbooks and business procedures. These are great procedures to follow and can even lead to discounts on your Equipment Floater Insurance Policies.
One of the crucial points that they make in the brochure is to keep detailed records and manage your inventory. Here is an excerpt:
INVENTORY MANAGEMENT
Keeping detailed records of your equipment, which can be made part of your fleet management
or accounting functions, dramatically increases the chance that a stolen unit may get recovered. If
you make it known that these records can be made readily available to law enforcement, this may
also deter theft.
- • Keep a detailed and accurate inventory of all equipment on a given worksite including
a record of equipment location assignments, the dates of delivery and anticipated
return. - • Record year, manufacturer, model number and PIN or serial number from actual
plates/decals. When describing a unit, use actual manufacturer model names; avoid
using generic terms such as “tractor” or “dozer”. - • Register your equipment on a national database that works with law enforcement,
such as the National Equipment Register (NER). Ask for theft deterring decals to
show thieves that this has been done. - • Use etching tools, die stamping or a steel punch to duplicate a unit’s Product
Identification Number (PIN) or other serial numbers in at least two places on the
equipment, one obvious, one hidden; record the location of these numbers. This will
help in the identification of your equipment and proof of ownership. Adding another
number unique to you (Owner Applied Number – OAN) will also help in proving
ownership. - • Take photos of all units from all four sides. Update photos as needed (when
attachments are added or removed). Photograph units on their transport trailers as
well. - • Customize the unit with unique paint colors, such as painting the roof a distinctive
color or painting the unit number in large characters. Note such modifications as well
as any decals, damage, company / owner applied numbers, etc… that are unique to
the unit when you record equipment details to aid identification and proof of
ownership. - • To aide in the identification of a unit in the even it is recovered after a theft, record any
and all numbers on the unit along with that number’s location. Be sure to include
engine numbers.
