I picked up my tool trailer last week and was planning to have lettering put on it like on my yard signs and van.
But now I’m hesitating. What do you think?
I plan to leave the trailer full of tools at people’s homes while remodeling or adding on, anywhere from a couple weeks to 6 months. The benfits of having the trailer onsite are obvious to me, and I see it as a great way to advertise at the same time.
But I’m worried that I’ll be raising the likelyhood of an oportunity tool theft…you know, a couple junkies see a trailer at someone’s house, they might wonder what’s inside it. They see the same trailer with a contractor’s lettering they might decide it’s worth breaking into on the chance it’s full of tools they can pawn.
I’ve about talked myself in circles on this. Any thoughts? Thanks.
Tipi, Tipi, Tipi!
Replies
Anyone who watches can tell what's in it.
Jim,
I've considered this a lot and here are my conclusions.
1. Remodeling work has the benefit of the clients and neighbors to keep watch against suspicious activity. Much less exposure than a new construction site.
2. I would guess that your customers live in the nicer sections of town so that is in your favor.
3. The cost of a $3-5k tool insurance rider on your insurance policy is generally pretty reasonable. While it's true that you could lose more than that if a thief was determined I think it most likely that a few nail guns, skil saws, and cordless drills get stolen. You can replace a lot of tools for $5k.
To me the advertising value is worth it.
Jon Blakemore
RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
Go for the lettering. The advertising is worth it.
Add warning labels and some flashing LEDs... contents are protected by Global GPS Tracking System or place real or fake Cameras and Video surveilance warning labels.
That will slow the local amateurs and kids from messing with your trailer.
http://www.warninglabelgenerator.com/
May neighbors respect You, and troubles neglect You.
Gord
Jim, install a good alarm.
We lost everything in a trailer. We only had the trailer for two houses. That same night, the thieves hit another trailer in the sub. The alarm went off and they scrammed. The other crew lost nothing.
blue
They're gonna know it has tools in it anyway. The trailer will be less likely to be stolen itself with lettering.
If I was gonna do some theiving, I'd steal the whole thing and crack it open in a barn somewhere at my leisure.
Its never too late to be up to date.
http://grantlogan.net/
Screw one (or two for botjh sides) of your yard signs to the trailer. When the trailer is left in a questionalbe area, remove the sign.
Hmmmmm. Tipi, Tipi, Tipi!
http://www.asmallwoodworkingcompany.com
I have worked out of a trailer for a few years.
I seldom leave it on site and never at an unoccupied new construction.
Most of the trailer break-ins around here are limited to trailers left at new sites for extended periods of time.
As handy as it is to just leave the trailer overnight, I won't risk it.
I personally know three carps that had their trailer either outright stolen or broken into. None received even vaguely fair compensation from their insurance companies. Excuses from trailer not being with-in their immediate control to unable to verify tool inventory with depreciated value to not realizing just how much stuff you really are hauling around.
Alarms or keep it with you - but I wouldn't count on an insurance company to do anything for you.
Terry
I went for years without truck or trailor lettering then about 4 years ago I had it done. just my company logo, no phone number and no menu of my services. I could'nt believe how much my stock went up
When you put your name on your trailor it gives you more of a legitimate presence. You dont look like a fly-by-nighter even though you very well may not be. You get more respect from everyone from clients to lumber yard personal, and you narrow the field in respect to your competition
That translates into bigger profits. I would'nt hesitate
This is off topic, but did I ever tell you my theft story?
We were living in the carriage house while work was being done to the big house. I get a phone call at 2:00 a.m. one Saturday from the police. Seems that my neighbor had been woken up by someone in their bushes opening a box. He looked out the window and got his dad up. Then they noticed our front door was open and had been broken, so they called the police. In the meantime the thief had walked on down the street holding something that looked like a flat box.
So I come around to the front of the house to talk to the police and my neighbors. The box the thief tried to open was my 17" CRT. Cost me about $700 back when, but about $10 now adays. I think he thought he had a TV.
Anyway, I look around and can't figure out if anything is missing. Most everything we have is still in boxes, and the thief had moved tons of stuff around, but it mostly seemed to be there. So I can't figure out what this 'flat box' was that my neighbor saw him carrying.
Next day I need to install some hardiboard around the tub, so I go to get my drill (brick wall) and I find all my drills and drill tools laying on the floor. The thief had stolen my $20 tool bag, but carefully took out my Milwaukee hole shooter, the angle drill, and all the bits and left them on the floor!
But wait, this gets even funnier.
I couple of days later, I'm sitting in my office in the big house, noticing the layer of plaster dust over everything, and I notice that one shelf of the bookcase is NOT covered in dust.
It was then that I realized that the thief had emptied my tool bag of $100s of dollars of tools so he could steal my shelf full of CDs!
But these are not normal music CDs. These are data CDs for my work.
And they are free from the government agencies!
The damage to the door was many times the theft loss. Even though it turns out he did steal my CD player. Gave me an excuse to buy a jukebox model.
Never underestimate the stupidity of todays thieves!
Even further off topic (but about theft). There was a theft here a few days ago where someone cut a hole in the side of a warehouse for a local electrical supply outfit and made off with something like $31K worth of copper wire. They cut through the metal side of the building, avoiding alarms that way. Police said it probably took a couple-three hours.
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
At the pipe store today I mentioned the high price of copper wire. He said they were just broken into and lost several reels of pump wire,as wellas a truck and other stuff. Then he said that they had laid a bunch of wire underground for an irrigation system and someone dug a hole and yanked the buried wire out of the ground.
Here is a little more off-topic.
Thieves Hit Owens Illinois Construction Site
Dated: 05/24/2006 04:06:40 PM
Perrysburg Police are looking into the theft of a large quanity of construction supplies.
Monday police got a report of a theft of materials from the construction site of the new Owens Illinois building at Levis Commons. Large quantities of electrical copper wire in various sizes and roll lengths along with other construction materials had been taken.
Police say the theft of copper wire is very unusual as hundreds of thousands of feet of wire, weighing several tons was taken during the theft.
The items disappeared sometime during the weekend of May 20th.
If you have any information regarding this incident, call the Perrysburg Police Division, 419-872-8001."Objects in mirror appear closer than they are."
Klakamp Construction, Findlay, Ohio
Yeah, the job here was about the same. They couldn't quite figure out how the thieves moved the wire on spools weighing about 500lb each.Wonder if it's some sort of ring.
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
Jim
I dont have a trailer and probably never will so I'm just going to relay a story here!
I used to go around to antique shows with this antique dealer. I asked him once why he never had any sign on the truck, his answer to me was, "yea, advertise that I have a truck load of valuable stuff in it. If I was going to put advertiseing on the truck it'd be Manure Specialist, then they'd only think there was sh!t in the truck and leave it alone."
I dont know if that thinking is any good or not but you didnt pay anything for it so........
Doug
Jim,
Don't have it lettered!
have it decaled!
tons cheaper and lots faster!
as for the theft issue, judgement should be in place.. Is yours one of those real cheapies with tin can siding just waiting for somebody with a sharp jack knife or is it more substanual plywood one with a metal skin.. Another words, can it be made safe? Alarms and anti theft devices are out there.. one of the coolest I saw was a motion detector that operated on 12 volts. Lights would come on and a voice would calmly state that a camera was filming all activety. The funny part was that it actually worked, they have video tape of a former employee breaking in. To keep out of jail the employee came up with enough money to not only replace the stolen tools and fix the damage but paid him $500.00 to keep quiet..
thieves will steal it if they want lettered or not.
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
I started working for the Stagehand Union a couple of weeks ago and my second job was downtown on a sunday night.
So I took most of my tools out of the cab locked my tool box and parked in front of the Marriot restaurant on the street.
Next day I go to unlock the tool box and find a big crease in the lid.A little later I am looking for something in the bed and find a heavy duty screwdriver thats not mine.
I can only hope while I was working this guy was prying and the cops drove buy and he took off running and in my ultimate fantasy they caught him and beat the stew out of him and took him to jail.
Next time I work at the convention center I am going to drive the truck in to the building so I can keep a closer eye on it.
ANDYSZ2
PS I don't put signage on my trailer as it screams tools here and thats all the incentive crackheads need.I MAY DISAGREE WITH WHAT YOUR SAYING BUT I WILL DEFEND TO THE DEATH YOUR RIGHT TO SAY IT.
Remodeler/Punchout
i posted this before but i thought it was a great idea for an inclosed trailer
a friend installed a hitch jacks front and rear (think he said it was like a 10 ton one and cost less than $80) inside the trailer with a lock like a jobbox lock lock'n it where even if you wanted you couldn't screw it up or down... even if you wanted you couldn't hook up to his trailer without dig'n the front or rear hitch jack... so far seems to work plus it makes his trailer stable...
p
Check with Dieselpig for his alarm setup. Sounds like the way to go. I'm damn near getting a trailer myself, and it will definitely have lettering on it.
i have had a trailer for several years now and it has been stolen once ( the day after i bought it )and broken into twice and 1 failed attempt. so heres my 2 cents.
theives dont care about your trailer or exactly whats in it. they take anything they can sell for more than 5 bucks. NOBODY has a trailer locked with nothing in it. theives know this.
when my trailer was stolen telling the police it was a white trailer was like telling them i lost a cup of water in the ocean please find it. having it a colour other than white and lettered is like visable DNA.
one good job because someone saw your name on the trailer will pay for the cost of basic lettering. a fancy paint/lettering job make people notice you. you get recognised easily and thieves dont like to take things that will get them noticed or found easily.
i hope this helps.
Tmaxxx
Urban Workshop Ltd
Vancouver B.C.
cheers. Ill buy.