Keep Your Towing Business Safe at Night

How Do You Keep Your Towing Business Safe at Night?

Do you keep customers’ vehicles on your property overnight?  After you’ve towed your customer’s vehicle to your lot, do you have good systems in place to keep it secure?  Do you have expensive equipment in your building or on your lot?  Unattended vehicles, computer technology, and maintenance equipment are all common targets for thieves.

In July, one victim’s story hit the news in Kentucky.  After surviving a head-on collision, Jimmie Heath’s prized possession was towed to Louisville’s LMPD’s impound lot.  When he was released from the hospital and went to the lot to look at his car, he found thieves had stolen thousands of dollars of stereo equipment from it.  Quickly he figured out the problem–thieves could enter the “secured lot” via a gaping hole in the fence where it backed up to a vacant lot.

Most lot owners secure vehicles by using tall fences or concrete block walls.  While these strategies may prevent someone from stealing a car from your lot, they do little to protect against theft and vandalism.  Thieves can easily use strong wire cutters to get through a wire fence, and stealthy individuals have tools to climb right over some of the tallest walls.  Others just break right through the front gate.

On-site security guards can be expensive.  Most security companies only provide unarmed personnel, which may not deter someone desperate to grab equipment for quick resale.  It can be tempting to unleash a couple of ferocious rottweilers when the business closes to patrol the grounds. Still, business owners can become liable for bites, wounds, or lethal attacks.

What are better ways to keep your towing business safe?

Instead, the best way for towing companies to keep their premises safe is by installing professional surveillance and security equipment.

Motion-activated sensors can alert owners and emergency services of possible intrusion.  Once the system detects activity on the property or the building, it can trigger alarms and lights to disrupt the perpetrators and motivate them to leave your facility.  Systems are usually programmed to notify the property owner and a security company of the intrusion so the situation can be assessed quickly as either a false alarm or as a cause to call the police for a crime in action.

Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras provide 24/7 monitoring of the entire premises.  Today’s cameras feature night vision and high-definition image capture.  It’s easy for owners to see what’s going on at the business by using a smartphone or computer with internet access.  Owners can give videotaped surveillance to the police to help identify criminals.

Having a good security system can pay back in ways other than just keeping the property safe.  Many insurance companies provide a premium discount for having a security system in place.  Additionally, customers place a high value on their vehicles and are more likely to choose your services when they know their property will be housed securely.

Collins Manufacturing places your safety at the top of their priority list.

Collins Manufacturing has been the industry leader in towing equipment for 45 years.  Our Hi-Speed^Ⓡ Dolly and Carrier Dolly systems make towing vehicles from even the most challenging situations safe and simple for your crew.  Our safety ratchet system prevents injuries to employees from slipping grips and prevents the vehicle from dropping.  When your workplace and employees’ safety matters, choose Collins.  Contact us today to learn how you can implement Collins towing equipment in your company.