Here’s seven tips for keeping your jobsite trailers safe:

1) Store Trailers in Your Surveillance Security Zone
If you have security surveillance cameras on your jobsite, keep your trailers within the zones visible by your live monitors. Mark out the visible zones for yourself and then make sure your trailers are in it at the end of every day. Add this task to your end-of-day security routine.

2) Tongue Locks, Hitch Locks, Coupler Locks, etc…
The market has no shortage of trailer tongue locks. They are cheap, effective and easy to use. So use them. Effective security is about layers – adding a lock is one highly-effective layer you can add with little effort.

3) Remove a Tire
It really is that simple: remove a tire and lock it somewhere out of sight. You can also chain the removed tire to the trailer, or simply let the air out of the tires if you have a compressor available. Immobilization is good security.

4) Keep Trailers Well Lit and Visible from the Street
Thieves hate light and street visibility – that’s how they get caught. Study our guide on jobsite security lighting and make sure that thieves don’t feel safe coming onto your jobsite.

5) Defensive Parking
Make it highly inconvenient for thieves to just drive up and hitch by blocking the tongue, or the trailer itself, with other heavy equipment or materials.

6) Chain the Trailer Down
A good chain and padlock can buy you minutes – and sometimes that’s all you need. Better yet, they act as highly-visible deterrents to potential thieves. High visibility, good lighting and a chain can scare off some of the more cowardly thieves.

7) Put Your Name on the Trailer
Is your company logo big and bold on the side of your trailer? Put it there so that everyone knows who it belongs to. This serves as low-grade deterrence and is a good way for police to ID your property in the worst case scenario.

More Pro-Vigil Guides to Construction Security:
Stop Generator Theft: 14 Portable Generator Security Tips
10 Skid Steer Security Tips: The Jobsite Thief’s Favorite Tool
Highway Construction Site Security: 11 Ways to Stop Road Jobsite Theft
Equipment Yard Security: 10 Tactics that Stop Equipment Yard Theft

“We’ve proven and perfected our construction site video surveillance service to deliver the crime stopping power of live onsite guards at a small fraction of a guard’s cost,” said Jeremy White, CEO of Pro-Vigil Inc.

“Our research indicated price bloat for construction security in the Western US. Rampant overcharging for ineffective security along with recession-driven crime rates indicates a phenomenal opportunity for Pro-Vigil’s live jobsite monitoring to better serve this region’s construction security needs at a drastically lower cost,” said White.

Pro-Vigil continues to see record growth in its security business – despite the profound economic impact of the recession on the construction industry. This growth positioned the company with ready capital for their large scale expansion.

Western Expansion Doubling Pro-Vigil’s Size
To effectively meet the demand for construction security in Arizona, Nevada and Oklahoma, Pro-Vigil has doubled in size. This includes doubling the numbers of sales and technical staff, VGS Cube Surveillance Units, and the technology infrastructure that enables the surveillance team to stop jobsite crime 24/7.

“Delivering our superior construction site loss prevention at a reduced cost gave us the momentum and capital to double in size,” said Ben Molloy, Pro-Vigil’s Chief of Security Training. “I’m confident in my now larger surveillance team. They’re eager – and highly trained – to catch jobsite thieves in action and send them packing with strobe lights and alarm sirens.”

“The need for our construction security services is high in those three states,” said White, “and right now serving this region requires us to double in size. We’re prepared to go as big as the demand dictates.”

How Pro-Vigil’s VGS Cubes Stop Crime Before It Starts
Live monitors watch construction sites in real time through surveillance cameras mounted on the top of the Virtual Guard Station “Security Cube”. When intruders enter a construction site the monitors trigger alarm sirens, strobe lights and prerecorded shouts of warning. They follow this up with a call to the police if necessary. Pro-Vigil’s VGS Cube stops crime before it starts, at a monthly cost far below that of a security guard.

Watch videos of Pro-Vigil stopping crime here >>

Pro-Vigil’s Solar Powered Security Solutions
Pro-Vigil also offers a solar-powered live video surveillance unit called the VGS Scarecrow. The Scarecrow functions as a stand-alone, self contained video surveillance unit. It also serves to extend surveillance coverage in combination with the VGS Cube. It requires no outside power for operation, making it an excellent solution for those seeking greener and/or more mobile options in video surveillance.

Please Contact Pro-Vigil to Learn More
If you’d like to learn more about Pro-Vigil’s Western Expansion into Arizona, Nevada and Oklahoma – or Pro-Vigil’s Virtual Guard Station please schedule an interview with Pro-Vigil president Jeremy White. Contact Pro-Vigil at 1-866-616-1318, email info@pro-vigil.com or visit our contact page online: http://www.pro-vigil.com/contact.php to schedule your interview today. Watch videos of Pro-Vigil stopping crime here >>

1) Centralize Your Storage in Clear Camera View – the Surveillance Security Zone
The single most powerful way to maximize the impact of your construction surveillance cameras is to centralize your storage within clear camera view. Keep your conex boxes, material pallets, and heavy equipment of concern in direct view of your surveillance security zone. This makes your live monitors’ jobs much easier and potentially saves you money by reducing the number of mobile surveillance units on your jobsite.

We caught this sub stealing from his jobsite’s surveillance security zone:

If you’re not sure where your “surveillance security zone” is, login to your online viewer to see it for yourself.

2) Keep the Power Supply in Clear Camera View
Because insiders commit so much construction site theft, they will scope out potential vulnerabilities before striking. If the power supply to your mobile surveillance camera is outside of camera view then your live monitors won’t see them on the approach. They will still be able to notify police if power is cut, but their effectiveness becomes greatly reduced for a short period of time.

Here’s a video of an intruder trying to cut power to a Virtual Guard Station:

3) Keep Access Points in Clear Camera View
Gated access points are your points of highest vulnerability for thieves who plan to load up your materials and equipment on their trucks. Chain-link gates are easy to lift and the chains or locks are easy to cut. Keep your access points in clear view of your live video surveillance monitors.

4) Keep Material and Equipment Drop Off In Clear Camera View
At the time of delivery your materials and equipment are at their most vulnerable. Often this is because they are still on pallets or trailers. Further, drop off and delivery is when you’re most vulnerable to supplier swindles (intentional or unintentional). Checking video surveillance records can help you settle he-said she-said jobsite disputes and always give you the final word.

Here’s a framer we caught stealing lumber from a jobsite bright and early one morning:

5) Keep Video Surveillance Warning Signs Unobstructed
Surveillance warning signs communicate to vandals, trespassers and potential thieves that you’re serious about keeping them off your property. Make sure that these signs stay unobstructed and in clear view of potential criminals. Cut weeds and brush that may grow up and be sure to move any debris or material so that passers by know for certain that they’re being watched.

6) If You Notice Camera Obstruction, Call for Relocation
Jobsites change constantly. A clear camera view of a conex box today could be obstructed by scaffolding tomorrow. Though your security monitors can clearly tell if a camera’s obstructed, they may not know whether or not you’re concerned about protecting the obstruction itself. Camera repositioning is easy and vast, but requires a visit by an installation crew. Please contact your rep at any time if you want to move your mobile surveillance video cameras!

More Jobsite Security Resources from Pro-Vigil:
Secure Jobsite Boxes: 4 Key Features to Look For
5 Security Lighting Tips For Your Construction Site
How Secure is Your Construction Security Fence? 11 Questions to Ask
How to Analyze Your Job Site’s Security Needs BEFORE the Job Begins
Reducing Employee-Driven Job Site Theft
Job Site Security: Establish Your End-of-Day Routine
Equipment Yard Security: 10 Tactics that Stop Equipment Yard Theft
A Model Home Security Plan: 10 Tips that Prevent Burglaries
Job Site Security: Establish Your End-of-Day Routine
9 Ways to Stop Construction Theft During Holidays and Vacations