Shipping Container Security: Help Protect Your Construction Equipment from Theft

To professional thieves, a construction site with weak security is a low-risk, high-reward target, and the staggering crime statistics show it. According to a report on constructionbusinessowner.com, $300 million to $1 billion per year is lost to equipment theft, not counting costs like downtime, insurance hikes and replacement rental equipment.

“If a thief has enough time and the proper equipment, there isn’t a security system in the world that will keep him out,” said Nick Papke, Sales Director at Citi-Cargo & Storage in Minneapolis. But making your site as secure as possible can certainly deter thieves. This means having the right storage, locking system and theft deterrents, like proper lighting, place.

The Best Storage Containers for Construction Site Security

Even though it seems obvious, not everybody does it: Lock up your equipment securely when the site is closed. Renting storage containers allows you to keep your equipment safer, right there on site.

“Theft is by far and away the largest factor in deciding whether or not to rent a storage container,” Papke said. Properly locked storage containers are portable, hefty and difficult to break into. They also protect equipment from the elements.

Storage Container Locks for Jobsite Equipment

“We have had excellent luck with two specific types of storage unit door locks,” Papke said: The puck lock and the monoblock lock. “Both provide a locking system that shrouds the actual lock, keeping bolt cutters away from the shackle,” he said. “Even cordless drills and reciprocating saws are thwarted.”

Puck lock: internal shackles, hidden screws and rust-proof coating.

Monoblock lock (“straight shackle”): hefty, weatherproof and effective.

Prevent Theft at Construction Sites

Once you’ve securely stored and locked your construction equipment, there are a few other simple things you can do to make criminals think twice. Get good, bright lighting and video surveillance for your site. Park a piece of heavy machinery in front of your storage unit to make access difficult. Use inexpensive signage saying the already is locked and equipped with alarms. And stay organized. Keep accurate documentation of equipment by serial number and know who is coming and going from your site, and when.

You may not be able to prevent the most determined of thieves – but you can make it difficult for them to gain access, and easier for you to find what’s been stolen.

Citi-Cargo has more than 30 years of experience helping construction companies secure their equipment. Learn more about the on-site, mobile storage containers available in the Twin Cities and Fargo/Morehead regions.