Van security guide: Keeping your van and its contents safe

Whether you are a sole trader, a small business, or part of a larger corporation, you likely carry valuable equipment and tools inside your van.

A van can be the driving force of a company, allowing you to get yourself and your possessions on-site to carry out your work. For that reason, van theft can have a dire impact on your business and often causes it to grind to a halt.

That’s why it’s essential to improve van security from the get-go, so you don’t have to deal with the mess of it being stolen down the line.

Therefore, in this guide, we’ve outlined 10 top tips that you can implement to prevent van theft from occurring in the first place.

How do I keep my van and its contents safe?

Keeping your van safe involves preventing theft of the entire thing. You can do this by fitting extra locks on it, upgrading your alarms and immobilisers, or being mindful of where you park your van.

The van’s contents are a different beast entirely. It will involve locking your valuables away each time you leave the van, training staff to take the same precautions as yourself, and taking out the right insurance policy.

To fully maximise your van’s security, you will have to fork out some money. But, considering that the payoff is potentially safeguarding your van and its contents from being stolen, it could be well worth it. Let’s look at what measures you can take.

1. Consider sign-writing your van

Sign-writing your van is when you display your logo and company details on it as a way to advertise your business. Van owners often do this as it can be a great marketing tool, showcasing your trade to the public as you drive from location to location.

It can also deter thieves from attempting to steal it since you make your van easily recognisable by sticking your logo and business details onto it. This makes it harder for someone to hide it should they decide to steal the vehicle. A high-quality sign can also be difficult to remove without the correct tools and equipment, making it a riskier target than a plain van.

However, it’s important to consider whether the type of business you have will attract thieves or not. If you’re in a line of work that uses expensive tools and equipment daily, a sign that advertises this may work against you.

2. Fit extra locks on your van door

Your van security locks play an essential role in keeping your van safe. In addition to your factory-fitted lock system, you have the option to add slamlocks, deadlocks, and stoplocks to the vehicle in order to add an extra layer of protection.

Slamlocks are a favoured choice. As soon as the side door or rear door slams shut, the lock will activate, regardless if you forget to lock it yourself. This prevents you from accidentally walking away and keeping the van open for thieves. They also work with the existing lock mechanism installed in your van, meaning you don’t have to make any significant changes. The downside with these is that if you forget your keys in the ignition or the van, you won’t be able to open them back up.

Deadlocks are another alternative to securing your van safely since they aren’t as easy to pick as your typical slamlock. They also work separately to the lock mechanism that’s already fitted in your van, which means that, in theory, you can have a slamlock and a deadlock. This will be two lock systems that thieves will have to pick before gaining access to your vehicle.

Stoplocks work differently. They lock the pair of rear van doors together, meaning you won’t be able to pry them apart without unlocking the mechanism. This can help prevent them from gaining access to any high-value equipment you store in the back. You can also fit them on side doors.

3. Upgrade your alarms and immobilisers

Most vans these days will have alarm security systems fitted as standard, but some don’t, so it’s crucial to check whether you have one. If you don’t, it’s not the end of the world. There are a variety of professional-level alarm systems on the market that you can install.

But remember that an alarm will only alert you to an attempted break-in. If you truly want to deter thieves from being successful in their attempt, you’ll need to install an immobiliser. As the name suggests, an immobiliser will stop your van from starting, thus, preventing it from being stolen.

Immobilisers typically come in three forms – Category 1, Category 2, and Category 2/1 immobilisers. The correct one for your van will depend on what level of security you want to go for.

Category 1 systems have a combined alarm and immobiliser. The alarm will have perimeter and ignition detection, glass breaks, tilt sensors, and even a siren that comes with its own battery supply.

Category 2 systems don’t come with an alarm, only an electronic immobiliser. Category 2/1 systems build on the previous category by installing a category 1 level alarm to really minimise van theft. As a rule of thumb, your van should have a Category 2 or above level of security.

Consider installing a GPS tracker onto the vehicle as well, as this will drastically increase the chances of recovering your vehicle. Although they are expensive to fit and will require a monthly subscription to keep the tracker online, the peace of mind you have may be worth it.

4. Physical security systems are just as effective

It’s all well and good to install the newest alarm systems and technology to improve your van’s security, but some of the old-fashioned physical security features will be just as effective.

Theft prevention devices such as steering wheel locks, pedal locks, hand-break locks, locking wheel nuts, and clamps will be just as successful in preventing your van from being stolen. In many cases, a physical security system will deter thieves from trying.

It’s important not to skimp on the quality of these tools since this will significantly impact how easy it is for opportunistic thieves to break through. A cheap van lock will only slow down a thief. If you truly want to ward them off, ensure the quality of the lock is premium grade.

5. Park your van in a safe place

The location where you park your vehicle overnight will play a big factor in how likely your van is to be stolen. A dark and unlit area with no CCTV cameras will almost welcome thieves to take a chance.

On the other hand, parking in a spot that is well-lit by street lights, has frequent foot traffic, and is in view of a CCTV camera will make opportunistic thieves think twice, so don’t make it easy for them. If you’re parking your van at home, you can install CCTV cameras around your home to deter thieves from even getting too close to your property.

It is tempting to think that van theft only happens at night, but this is far from true. Thieves will look to take advantage of any opportunity that comes their way, regardless of the day and time. That’s why you must be mindful of where you park your van at all times.

6. Secure your catalytic converter

Of course, your contents need to be protected from thieves, but other things inside and outside your van are still at risk. One of the main ones is your catalytic converter.

Catalytic converters are located in a car or van’s exhaust and contain precious metals that can be used or sold for a large amount of money. This makes them a highly sought-after item. It’s also relatively easy to get to; they simply need to cut through the exhaust on both sides of the catalytic converter to remove it. Stealing catalytic converters are especially common on vans and trucks due to their added ground clearance, making them even easier to reach.

Luckily, these days you can install various theft prevention devices to protect your catalytic converter. It may not make it impossible, but at least it will increase the difficulty of getting to it.

7. Keep valuables out of sight and locked away

If you’re showcasing your valuables to the world through your van windows, you’ll be increasing the likelihood of theft. So when it comes to keeping your valuable tools and possessions safe from would-be thieves, the best thing you can do is keep them out of sight. Better yet, take them with you when you’re away from the van or store them in your garage or home at the end of your work day; if anyone attempts to steal your van overnight, they’ll find nothing of value in there.

This includes smaller items such as tablets, phones, toolboxes, etc. Even storing them in your glove compartment is unsafe as that’s one of the first places a thief will look. However, emptying your van every day, or each time you leave your van unattended, isn’t practical. Therefore, at the very least, you should keep your van locked each time you exit the vehicle and keep equipment locked away and out of sight.

You can do this by installing a tool store or a safe storage box. This can be fitted into the back and will make it difficult to pry away from the van itself. Additionally, if you have windows on your rear doors, you can get them tinted to prevent thieves from peeking in. Having all these measures in place shows that you care about the security of your van and that you won’t make it easy for them.

8. Keep inventory of your van contents

One of the most overlooked van security tips is keeping an inventory of everything you carry, particularly the high-value tools. Whilst keeping tabs on what you own won’t help avoid theft, it will help you determine what’s been taken and what hasn’t.

You should note down the item, make, model, and serial number, and keep the complete list in a notebook, spreadsheet, or on your phone – just make to store it somewhere other than the van. It would help if you also kept receipts of your most expensive items as they may be required when making an insurance claim.

To take this a step further, it may be a good idea to use a UV pen to write a unique code on your tools. For instance, the unique code could be a combination of your initials and the last three letters of your phone number. This will help you identify them should your stolen property be recovered.

If you have a lot of stuff, this process may take some time. However, it will only need to be done once. Any additions to your stock should take no longer than a few seconds, and it could save you a whole bunch of hassle if your items are ever stolen.

9. Train your staff in van security

Whether you have a fleet of vans or just one used by yourself and your staff, anyone who operates the vehicle should be trained to lock and secure the van safely.

If the other van drivers don’t prioritise security each time they drive the vehicle, then all the state-of-the-art locks and systems you have fitted will be of no help. Therefore, they must be trained to take the same precautions and measures that you would.

10. Take out the right insurance policy

Every van insurance policy will protect you in the event that your van gets stolen. Still, not every policy will protect your tools and contents as well. That’s why it’s vital to check your insurance policy to see if you have van tool theft cover included.

If you aren’t covered, you may need to purchase an add-on. Alternatively, if your insurance provider does not cover tools and contents or it’s too expensive, you can contact a broker to find the best van insurance deal that’s tailored to your needs.

Will improving my van security lower my insurance costs?

Van insurance policies aren’t cheap, particularly if you want tools and content cover. But, by ensuring your van is harder to break into and, thus, lower risk for the insurance provider, you may be able to reduce your insurance costs considerably.

By talking to your insurance provider and explaining the changes you’ve made to the security of your vehicle, they may be willing to negotiate a lower monthly premium for the same amount of coverage.