Protect your moving company and your customers from theft during a move

Theft in the moving and storage industry has been, is now, and will always be a concern and a potential for loss.  Whether its internal questions of employee theft of shippers goods, to theft of equipment and pads, to theft of a vehicle, trailer, or fuel, there are things any moving company can do to lessen the risk of loss through theft.

Screen and Train your employees:

This doesn’t always have to be through an employment screening company.  There are free options on the internet to check someone’s criminal record.  Finding a pattern of retail theft could be very good to know about someone who you may be sending into a shipper’s home.  Make the calls to previous employers because it’s not unheard of for someone to fabricate their work history.  When it comes to training, make sure drivers (and movers) are taught good habits when entering a shippers home (for example, what to do if a purse or money is lying around), and how to load the truck in a way to bury things like TV’s or electronics so they aren’t easily accessible.  Having periodic meetings on security issues are just as important as safety meetings.

Secure Your Vehicles to avoid Theft:

Whether on your lot, at the job site, or on the road, secure your vehicles from theft.  It can be as simple as having locks on all the doors to avoid theft.  Now I know that locks can be cut, but if you have a truck or trailer loaded in your yard back it up to another trailer and block the side doors with trucks to make sure that no one gets into it.  Use pin locks on trailers and never leave keys in the trucks. Having a well lit parking lot also can be a deterrent against thieves, or rogue movers who want to steal equipment or walk boards out of empty trucks.  The same types of rules apply on the road.  Lock it up, park in a busy well lit lot, and never leave the keys in a vehicle (even for a few minutes.)  When at a shipper’s location, especially in urban areas, make sure if the truck is unattended, lock it.  Thieves can grab something off the back of a truck like a tool box and walk away in seconds.  With the price of fuel being so high, stealing fuel has become prevalent in many areas.  A good way to protect yourself against fuel theft is locking caps on fuel tanks. This is the most effective method of protection.  If locking caps aren’t available, don’t leave tanks full of fuel in your parking lot.  If your moving company is in a cold climate, you have to leave at least a quarter tank when it gets cold, but don’t make it a habit of filling up trucks at the end of the day.  A fuel thief that scouts your location for a week can see the pattern and prey on your full tanks of fuel.

These are just a few tips on how to protect your moving company from theft.  Remember to inspect to protect.