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Prevent Theft While Moving With GPS

Prevent Theft While Moving With GPS

If packing up all of your treasured belongings and handing them over to a truck driver (total stranger) for a cross-country — or cross-city — move is giving you a bit of anxiety, you’re not alone. Many people worry about their precious belongings going missing, getting damaged, or being stolen during a move. But, the good news is that there are some things you can do to encourage stopping theft when you move. This post will cover how GPS units and moving trucks can work together to get your stuff safely from point A to point B.

Stopping Theft When You Move with GPS

A simple GPS device, like the LandAirSea 54 with ShareSpot (TM) location sharing and tracking system, can be discretely placed on your boxes or somewhere on or in the moving truck to deter thieves and give you the peace of mind of being able to track your belongings in real-time.

The best places to put your GPS device include:

  • On or in individual moving boxes. You don't have to put devices on every box, but you can put a couple of them in with your most valuable items. When the devices are blatantly placed on the boxes, just the sight of the GPS tracking device is often enough to scare the thieves away, knowing that their every move will be tracked. Placing the device inside your boxes also works if you're going for a lower-profile approach.

  • On the moving truck itself. You can either place the device in plain sight (on the dashboard) or hide it (under the hood, the bumper, or a seat in the cab works well).

If you’re looking to hide the GPS device in the moving truck, the best places to hide a GPS device include:

  • Inside the door panel: Most thieves will not have the time or knowledge to take off door panels to search for GPS devices. Since you also won’t have the time to rip the doors off your trucks very often, the LandAirSea Overdrive is a great option to hide in the door panel because its battery can last up to 12 months when in battery-saving mode!

  • The OBD-II Port: The LAS Sync plugs right into the OBD-II port, so you don’t have to worry about recharging its battery ever. When the GPS tracking device is plugged into the OBD-II port, it won’t be completely hidden, but some thieves may think it’s a phone charger or some other kind of device needed for everyday trucking operations. If you’re not looking to hide your GPS tracker and you want thieves to see it to scare them away, the OBD-II port is the perfect spot for your tracker.

  • Inside a brake light: This is another great hiding spot for GPS tracking devices; just make sure your device does not block the light.

  • Inside a seat cushion: The seat cushion is an excellent hiding spot for GPS trackers because it stays hidden and can be easily accessed for charging.

GPS Units and Moving Trucks: Prevent Theft When Moving

If you’re a moving truck fleet manager, company owner, or a customer interested in stopping theft when you move, keep the following considerations in mind.

Fleet managers should:

  • Ensure every truck has a GPS device. Today’s GPS devices are compact and portable, such as the LandAirSea Overdrive with ShareSpotTM Location Sharing and Tracking System. This allows you to place them conveniently where needed and not worry about losing connectivity or charging on the go. Always check each truck before it heads out to ensure:

    • It has a GPS device.
    • The GPS unit is on and working properly.
    • The device is connected to a network.
    • The unit is fully charged.

  • Set alerts for "off" hours. Your fleet drivers likely keep a strict schedule, often during business hours. So, when you set up "off" hours alerts for your GPS tracking devices, you’re notified if the vehicle moves after hours — a surefire sign that something could be wrong, and a thief may be at the wheel.

  • Share GPS tracking capabilities with the team. Some fleet managers may feel it is their sole responsibility to handle all actions related to equipment recovery. But, if your driver is far from headquarters and theft occurs, you won’t be able to do much to help them. You should also allow your drivers to access your GPS tracking devices. The sooner they can take action, the quicker you can retrieve your belongings and get back on the road.

  • Choose GPS units with real-time tracking. One of the most valuable features of GPS tracking devices is that you can view where they are in real time. For example, the LandAirSea SYNC - 4G LTE is a real-time GPS tracker for vehicles and fleets that plugs into OBD II Port. Not all devices offer real-time tracking capabilities, so choose devices that do, so you’ll know where your belongings are at all times. If you’re a customer moving, we recommend placing these devices in one or more of your boxes because sometimes the boxes get transferred from truck to truck, and you want to track your actual belongings, not the truck itself. Also, some truck drivers may not be okay with you placing a GPS tracking device on their trucks.

LandAirSea Can Help

Whether you're making a long-distance move or a move across the same town, ensuring your belongings arrive safely at their destination is of the utmost importance — and concern. Today's technology makes tracking your goods and stopping theft when you move easier than ever, thanks to the proliferation of GPS tracking devices.

To learn more about LandAirSea GPS tracking devices and our mission, visit https://landairsea.com. LandAirSea GPS trackers are manufactured for fleet management and professional vehicle tracking.

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