Keep your Van and Tools Safe

Practical tips to reduce van break-ins and tool theft, plus how to protect your registration plates from misuse.

A golden rule: don’t store equipment in your van overnight.

Vehicle crime accounts for more than a quarter of all recorded crime in the UK and costs taxpayers over £3 billion a year. A vehicle full of tools, stock or delivery items is an easy target—if it’s not there, it can’t be stolen.

If all your tools are stolen, your business could be halted until you can replace them. If removing everything isn’t practical, follow these simple steps to maximise security:

1. Keep it locked. Every time you leave the vehicle, check every door (some vans have six). Don’t rely solely on the fob—walk around and confirm they’re secure.
2. Fit a proper alarm. A Thatcham-approved system is recommended by most insurers and may reduce premiums.
3. Add deadlocks and security grilles. Clear visual deterrents that work well. Ask us about fitting additional security devices when you buy a used van.
4. Hide valuables. Keep equipment out of sight—including your phone. Don’t leave anything visible on the dash with the door unlocked.
5. Light it up at night. Motion-detection security lights at home help; nearly half of theft-from-vehicle incidents happen overnight near the owner’s home.

“The van had £10,000 worth of stock and equipment in it and, because the keys were left in the ignition, insurance won’t pay out. I also had to redo all the deliveries and apologise to a lot of my clients.” — Business MD who had his van stolen.

Security-mark your equipment

Mark all tools—use an engraver, a UV pen or a high-tech solution like SmartWater. Even just engraving your postcode makes resale harder and aids recovery. Photograph valuable tools and record serial numbers.

Sat navs

If it’s portable, take it with you—along with the cradle and suction pad. Wipe away any suction marks (thieves look for them), and never leave devices in the glovebox—it’s the first place they check.

Number plates

Stolen plates are often used for “bilking” (fuel theft), fines avoidance, cloning and other crimes.

Report plate thefts promptly or you might receive fines or even police attention for crimes committed on cloned plates. Reduce risk by garaging the van, parking to block access to plates, or choosing well-lit, CCTV-covered public car parks.

Use theft-resistant plates or security screws—they’re cheap, easy to fit and hard to remove with standard tools.

Information courtesy of Maun Motors.