For many contractors in the UK, a van isn’t just a way to get around; it’s a base of operations where tools critical to their work are stored. Ensuring your van is secure is crucial for your business.

Unfortunately, van-related crimes like tool and vehicle theft are on the rise. The

oft-quoted statistic — albeit based on data from 2017 — is that a van is broken into and tools are stolen every 23 minutes in the UK. However, more recent ﬁgures demonstrate the prevalence of theft suffered by contractors. Insight from 45 police forces in the United Kingdom and NI in January 2024 found there were over 44 thousand incidents of tool theft reported to the police in 2023 — up 5% from 2022 — and worth a staggering £98 million.

Insurance can be a lifeline for a contractor, from a sole trader with a single van to a national company operating a ﬂeet of hundreds of vehicles. However, the claims process can be a headache. A theft can impact future premiums and cause you to lose work, whether as an immediate consequence because you don’t have the tools to complete work or over time due to reputation damage and clients not trusting you to get the job done.

So, how can you secure your work van to prevent break-ins and reduce insurance costs?

Key Strategies to Prevent Break-Ins

A van or tool theft can be a carefully organised affair targeting a speciﬁc company, location, individual or vehicle, or it can be spontaneous, occurring because a thief spots the opportunity to make off with a van or tools left in the open.

The strategies outlined below are equally effective no matter the nature of the crime. Implementing these measures can:

Make your van less appealing to would-be
Alert a thief that they have been caught in the act, preventing them from making off with your van and minimising the damage
Demonstrate a robust risk management approach to securing your work van to reduce insurance

Locking Up

Locking up goes beyond merely locking your van doors — although you’d be surprised how often a theft occurs in the short window when a contractor leaves their vehicle unattended to knock on a door or prepare to transfer tools.

Locking up is all about restricting access to make it as difﬁcult as possible for a would-be thief to break in and take off with valuables. Traditional deterrents like steering wheel or handbrake locks are simple but effective, and they can not only create barriers to having your van stolen, but they can also prevent a break-in attempt entirely.

An opportunistic thief might break into a van, see a handbrake lock and realise it will be challenging to steal the van, so they grab as many tools as possible and cut their losses. But visible deterrents like steering locks and wheel clamps can make a break-in attempt more trouble than it’s worth. A plain, inconspicuous van might not garner as much attention as one with a bright yellow clamp attached to the wheel. Common sense might tell you that overt security measures indicate you’re storing something valuable, but this is only a bad thing if your security measures are purely for show rather than an indication that your vehicle is well-protected. If a van appears secure from the outside, it’s likely to be secure inside. That’s enough to deter most thieves from spontaneously attempting to break in and steal valuable tools and materials that could signiﬁcantly impact your ﬁnances and reputation.

It’s also worth upgrading your physical locks. Slamlocks can prevent thieves from attempting to steal your van while you’re moving tools or seen closing your van and walking away without locking it, as they automatically lock your van when the door shuts.

Deadlocks are also effective as they’re tough to break. They’re not a complete deterrent against more orchestrated or premeditated thefts, as criminals can drill through them, but you can invest in steel plate deadlocks, which offer more protection and peace of mind.

Secure Parking

Parking on a quiet, dark street or off-road area not well-served by surveillance can make your van more attractive to thieves.

Instead, park your van in a well-lit, populated location, ideally somewhere you are familiar with and covered by CCTV cameras.

Parking behind a physical barrier like a locked gate will also help deter thievery attempts, but if you must park out in the open, such as when on a job, consider parking against a wall. This can hide valuable tools inside your vehicle from view and prevent access from the rear.

Markings and Signage

Applying graphics or company branding does more than provide a walking advertisement of your services and reassure clients. It can also deter thieves, who are less likely to target marked vans because they are easier to identify versus plain, unmarked vehicles.

Displaying “no tools left in this vehicle overnight” stickers can also be effective. There is an argument that signs like these may draw attention to the fact that you store tools in your van during the day. However, you can mitigate this by implementing other best practices, such as investing in quality locks and alarms and parking on well-lit, surveilled roads.

Keep Valuables Out of Sight

Keeping your tools and equipment out of sight is a simple yet effective way of preventing theft. Tinted windows make it harder for potential thieves to peer inside, but security window ﬁlm provides additional protection for those who want a less conspicuous method. This transparent ﬁlm won’t hide your tools and equipment from view, but it will lock the glass in place should thieves attempt to break the window, preventing it from shattering and making it harder for thieves to make off with your tools in a smash-and-grab attempt.

Avoiding storing your tools in your van overnight is also a smart move. It’s also an effective form of damage limitation. While you don’t want your empty van stolen, either, it’s much better than the alternative — having a thief hijack your van with thousands of pounds worth of tools in the back.

Don’t forget about ladders mounted to your vehicle. Thieves will grab whatever they can, and if you store your tools in your van overnight, a ladder or external storage can indicate there might be valuable items inside.

Use of Technology

Physical deterrents certainly have their place, but technological solutions can signiﬁcantly bolster your van’s security.

GPS tracking systems can help you recover your van if it’s stolen, but they can also deter thieves whose movements can be monitored.

It’s also worth investing in a high-quality alarm solution. Standard alarm systems may spook an opportunistic thief, causing them to abandon the scene for fear of drawing unwanted attention, but more sophisticated alarms can notify you when they detect break-ins.

Combine an alarm system with motion-sensor dashcams, and you’ll have an effective van security system. Single-lens cameras provide a high-deﬁnition view of the road ahead and may be enough to deter thieves, while dual-lens or multi-camera setups offer more coverage, including inside your vehicle.

For all the additional barriers you can put up to deter break-ins, they’re less effective if a thief can access your vehicle by unlocking it. Relay attacks exploit the convenience of

keyless entry by extending the signal from your key, allowing access even if the key is safe in your pocket.

Consider investing in a Faraday pouch or key box. These inexpensive devices prevent thieves from hacking your key’s proximity signal and gaining unrestricted access to your van.

How Van Security Impacts Your Insurance Premiums

Securing your van protects your tools and equipment and can result in massive savings on your insurance premiums.

Insurance companies assess the risk of insuring your vehicle based on several factors, so any steps you take to lower risk will reduce how much you’re paying each month.

Motorists likely to make claims are deemed a higher risk. Having robust van security reduces the risk of theft and damage and bolsters your claims history, making you more attractive to insurers and progressively lowering your premiums.

Many of these security measures offer additional beneﬁts. For example, footage from in-cab cameras can be valuable if you need to claim, proving your claim is legitimate. It can also demonstrate commercial vehicle compliance and support safe working initiatives for companies managing a large ﬂeet by showing that their drivers are qualiﬁed and competent to operate their vehicles.

The cost of installing high-quality alarms and in-cab camera systems can offset the initial cost-saving beneﬁts, but you can save substantial money in the long term.

Author: Alex Minett

Alex Minett is the Head of Global New Markets at Veriforce CHAS, the UK’s leading health and safety assessment scheme and provider of risk mitigation, compliance, and supply chain management services. With a working history in the audit and management consulting industry, Alex is experienced in implementing visions and strategies. Skilled in negotiation, management and business development, he is passionate about driving CHAS in its mission to safeguard organisations from risk in the UK.

LinkedIn: Alex Minett