A tradesperson’s van is broken into every 23 minutes. That’s barely enough time to grab a coffee and sandwich in between jobs before someone else is having their tools nicked or their entire vehicle stolen. And the costs of those break-ins can be devastating – each one costs a staggering average of £5,584.

Not only will you have to replace some valuable tools, maybe your whole van, but, until you’ve replaced everything, you won’t be able to work. That could be a considerable amount of money in lost earnings to go straight down the drain. Then there’s the loss that you can’t put a price on – those pieces of kit you’ve had since you were an apprentice, that favourite tool that they don’t make anymore, and your personal feeling of safety and security.

So what can you do? Well obviously we’re going to recommend you get a Get Stowed storage unit. They keep all your tools out of sight, so, to an opportunistic thief trying to peer in, your van will look empty. Plus if you go for a rubber matting or vinyl finish for the top, it will blend right in with your van so they won’t be able to tell that you even have a storage unit in there.

But there are also a few other things you can do to try to keep your kit safe. Here are our top five tips:

1) Park carefully

When you park up, especially at night, choose somewhere well-lit, where there are likely to be people around.

2) Be alarmed

Only 42% of new vans come with an alarm as standard. Consider getting additional security systems/devices or vehicle tracking options to give you extra protection.

3) Put it away

Most thieves are opportunists – they peer into a van and, if they spot something worth pinching, they prise open a door and reach in to grab what they can. Keeping your tools, particularly the most valuable ones hidden is a must. Also, make sure your keys aren’t on display anywhere, like by a door or window where a thief might be able to fish them out through your letterbox.

4) Mark your territory

Marking your tools and your van means that, if they are stolen and later recovered by the police, you’ll be able to get them back. Keeping a note of serial numbers and other identifying information also helps with recovery.

5) Get insured

Make sure all your tools and your van are properly insured, and file a police report the second you discover you’ve been the victim of theft.

Check out our van range or 4×4 range to see how a Get Stowed unit could keep your valuable tools out of sight of thieves.