Are You Prepared For a Stolen Truck?

[ATeam]

In the stolen van AND MY DOG thread, TeamCaffee said, "I was thinking of all of the things that we would lose if our truck was stolen or totaled and it is very scary to contemplate."

She is right, it is scary to contemplate but also wise to do.

When our friends Glen and Janice Rice had an accident in which their truck was totally destroyed by fire and they had no time to do anything but run for their lives (Glen's shoes were on fire as he and Jan fled), EVERYTHING they had in the truck, except the clothes they had on, was destroyed. Jan's diamond earnings presumably would have survived the fire but could not be found. Their CDL's, pasports, cash, eyeglasses, credit cards, house keys, medications, cell phones...everything was gone in an instant.

It may be a theft as in 2sweet's case, or a wreck as in the Rice's case, or a burglary or a fire when the truck is parked. It can happen in an instant that you find yourself permanently separated from everything of importance you have in your truck...in an instant it can happen.

Are you prepared for such an event?

Task: REACT TO A STOLEN TRUCK

Pretend right now that you and your co-driver, if you have one, are away from the truck. Say you are at Walmart buying groceries in a small town 900 miles from home and 200 miles from a city large enough to have an airport and bus terminal, and you return to the parking lot to find your truck gone.

What is your next move?

What is your second step?

What is your third step, fourth, fifth, sixth, etc?

More to the point, what have you done already to prepare for such an event?

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Well If I am in shopping I would have the clothes I have on PLUS my wallet and all my credit cards..and a healthy reserve fund... I'd never be stuck....just a little bit of inconvenience...

 

[TeamCaffee]

One thing we keep in our truck is a fire proof / water proof lock box. The box would not survive a super hot fire or probably in the bottom of a lake, but overall it would help some.

I got the box after hearing about a truck burning down and a truck rolling and all the contents spilled and lost. I also started thinking about the lock box when our truck was constantly being searched.

In the lock box I keep our SS cards, all of the numbers for our credit cards, phone numbers and also emergency cash.

This will not be a big help if the truck is stolen, but we have another plan in that situation.

 

[davekc]

It is almost hard to cover every base, but did have some safeguards when we drove. Computer info was downloaded when we got home, and always had a stick on the keychain with everything.
Not a cureall, but some value. Also had a fireproof lock box bolted to the floor in one of the cabinets. It still could have been dismounted, but would slow someone down.
And lastly, had a battery cutoff switch that would prevent it from starting. Easy to switch on, but you have to know where it is. Not perfect, but would slow someone down a little.

 

[TeamCaffee]

We use this lock on the steering to deter thieves and it cannot be cut off. Great gadget and I think some of you saw it at the Expo.

 

[BillChaffey]

What's CASH?

 

[dieseldiva]

We use the locking air cuff that the Fed required a few years back.

After losing a lot of precious pictures to a bad computer, we now use Carbonite, it backs up the computer files in real time.

 

[TeamCaffee]

We also use the aircuff, but I had forgotten why we had purchased it! How funny brought up old memories.

 

[Doggie Daddy]

We also use the aircuff, but I had forgotten why we had purchased it! How funny brought up old memories.

The air cuff came about when the Pfhizer loads first began dissapearing.

BTW,I like the locking mechanism that you are using,any info on that? company name?

 

[greg334]

Dave,
You can't prepare for everything.

Most of the stolen trucks don't seem to be expediter units but rather tractors that are non-descript and many of them are stolen because of the contains of the trailer - in other words blend in. How many super-duper apartment on wheels stick out, even those plain-jane sleeper box trucks don't blend in well.

What happened to 2sweet was a typical van theft and it could have been one of these things that it was something sticking in plain site that would have triggered a thief in normal circumstances but the 'truth' came out about a store visit and dropping their keys - thanks to a spectator asking a question.

Nevertheless, there are a number of things we do forget about because we become complacent and lazy. This is coming from someone who had their truck and box broken into and who worked in the disaster preparedness and business continuity end of things for years.

The first thing is not to leave things out in the open. It is great to have a lock box and all of that but it is the invite that seems to get them going. DON'T boast about what you have either.

The second thing is where do you park your truck seems to matter a lot. Be careful, even in a lighted area it does not matter - my drivers door was in plain view under a light and it didn't matter because they still broke into the truck.

The third thing is DO NOT depend on fellow truckers to keep your truck safe. I can tell you after it happened, I had three of my fellow colleagues admit that they were watching but didn't want to get involved.

The fourth thing is to get an emergency list with all of your numbers, company contact phone numbers (and passcodes), email addresses, insurance numbers, credit card numbers and so on. Work it up, give it to someone who you can trust even with credit cards that they can get to you. IT does you no good if you keep a list in your wallet or somewhere else and it gets stolen too. By keeping it out of the reach of you and out of the truck, it is safer and easier to use. Believe me it does work.

The fifth thing is something that I had a discussion with a couple of the carriers a while back about secrecy - broadcasting where you go and what work you do. SOME just don't get that they become a target by boasting about the money they make and how much their cargo is worth. For example I did work for a shipper that is very specialized for a few months, that work was stuff that a lot of you 'special purple people' would die for but no one knows exactly what it was or when it was moved or who it was for or even which carrier handled it for me because it is a matter of keeping my stuff and the shipments safe. I surely don't publish maps or anything stupid like that because the customer has a right not to have the world know that there was a truck delivering X at their Y facility. One thing that many seem to forget is a simple but known fact that thieves are not stupid.

The last thing is ever think about getting an alarm?

Your's Truely,

A spectator.

 

[ATeam]

We use this lock on the steering to deter thieves and it cannot be cut off. Great gadget and I think some of you saw it at the Expo.

HALLELUJAH! HALLELUJAH! TEAMCAFFEE! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! for sharing this post.

I saw a driver use that steering shaft lock once at a truck stop a few years ago and have been looking for it ever since but with no success.

Please tell me you know where to get this thing. I WANT ONE!!!!

 

[idtrans]

What's CASH?

I lock my food stamps in my safe along with my will work for food sign ;-)

 

[ATeam]

I was able to trace down the lock by looking at the file name on the photo TeamCaffee posted. The product name is Tractor Steering Joint Lock. It can be purchased from Transport Security, Inc. in Waconia, Minnesota (about 50 miles from our house ). View the web site and product here.

I ordered one by phone and it will be shipped via UPS mad. The locks are truck model specific. The vendor will need to know your truck type before filling the order. I paid about $60.

Note that your steering shaft universal joint, through which the lock is placed, may be under your hood or under your dash, depending on the truck.

 

[ChrisGa23]

anyone ever try lojack or any other gps tracking devices ?

My phone has a lojack type system in it. I send my phone a email or text and it gives me exact gps locations and a link on google maps where it is. I would like to see something like this available for trucks.

 

[TeamCaffee]

HALLELUJAH! HALLELUJAH! TEAMCAFFEE! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! for sharing this post.

I saw a driver use that steering shaft lock once at a truck stop a few years ago and have been looking for it ever since but with no success.

Please tell me you know where to get this thing. I WANT ONE!!!!

This is another reason to go to the Expo as we picked ours up there. There was one given away at the FedEx dinner at the Expo also.

You found the website to order one so I will not post it good detective work.

 

[davekc]

Very good link on the steering item. Never knew it existed.

With regards to vans, they are a hot item for theft. Either for parts or many chop shops use them to run parts.
Don't ask me how I know

 

[Ragman]

Very good link on the steering item. Never knew it existed.

With regards to vans, they are a hot item for theft. Either for parts or many chop shops use them to run parts.
Don't ask me how I know

Ok, I won't ask how, but why do you know?

 

[transporter]

ateam thank you for this post it has got me thinking what i would do if truck was a total loss.
This crazy hillbilly is going to make up a care package for myself.
1 few hundred dollars
2 day planner with all contact and pass codes needed
3 debit card, checkbook
4laptop with gps
5pens paper, invoices, stamps, envelopes
6 varius certificates
7passport card
8photo copies of cdl, birth certificate, social security.
all placed in a next day box prepaid and givin to somebody i trust alot. so when i make the call from somewhere usa i can be up and running next day.

 

[davekc]

Ok, I won't ask how, but why do you know?

It is a secret.

 

[ATeam]

ateam thank you for this post it has got me thinking what i would do if truck was a total loss.
This crazy hillbilly is going to make up a care package for myself.
1 few hundred dollars
2 day planner with all contact and pass codes needed
3 debit card, checkbook
4laptop with gps
5pens paper, invoices, stamps, envelopes
6 varius certificates
7passport card
8photo copies of cdl, birth certificate, social security.
all placed in a next day box prepaid and givin to somebody i trust alot. so when i make the call from somewhere usa i can be up and running next day.

Bravo! transporter, Bravo!