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Beyond the tool box lock: Protect your gear from tools
Key Insights
- Paramount Boxes' sturdy design and security features make it challenging for thieves to tamper with or force open these toolboxes. These features ensure that all of your valuable tools are well-protected from theft and damage.
- Beyond installing secure toolboxes, it's essential to adopt additional security measures such as keeping valuables out of sight, parking in well-lit areas, using visible anti-theft devices and even considering home security systems.
- It's vital that your insurance policies cover theft and damage for your tools and equipment, both at home and on the road. Take extra precautions to ensure you have full protection and peace of mind.
If you’ve invested in high-quality tools or outdoor equipment, you want to be sure it’s well protected with a high-quality tool box lock box. Paramount Boxes are built tough, providing owners with peace of mind that their gear is safer from being tampered with, stolen or damaged when it’s out of sight.
To keep your gear protected from thieves, our boxes are fitted with a tool box lock built into the door, lid or canopy. The lid mounting’s unique water-draining channel makes forcing open a locked lid into a noisy, frustrating and messy challenge for any thief.
(Sidenote: if you’ve lost your tool box lock keys, don’t force it; get in touch with Paramount.)
We’ve designed our toolbox locking systems to become a fortress for your tools. The whale-tail utebox locks are also padlockable for added security. There are no exterior rivets or bolts on these handles meaning the only way to remove it is to access the interior.
Click to see the best secure steel and aluminium tool chest options for your ute, caravan or trailer.
But there’s multiple ways to keep your vehicle and its contents safe. It’s worth considering:
- In Australia, a car is stolen every 11 minutes
- As many as 80% of car break-ins happen at night
- 1-in-4 victim-households are burgled again in the same year
In a recent interview with ABC News, Associate Professor Natalie Gately from Edith Cowan University said, “We classify burglars in three categories. Opportunists are those people, who just walk past a house, see an opportunity and will burgle. Searchers plan to go out and burgle but haven’t actually picked a property yet.” The third type, planners, “are much less common but much more professional”.
While secure toolbox storage on your ute is a great start — and enough security for most people — you may wish to use additional measures to help safeguard your vehicle, home and property. By taking these steps, you’re being proactive and responsible in protecting your valuable tools and equipment.
How to best protect your vehicle and contents
Some simple ways to further secure your vehicle and its steel or aluminium tool chest from being tampered with, include:
- Whether at home or on the road, keep keys and valuables out of sight, and away from windows where they may be visible to opportunistic thieves.
- Park your car in well-lit, high-traffic areas whenever possible. Thieves are less likely to target cars in busy, open spaces.
- Use visible anti-theft devices like steering wheel locks and advertise the presence of audible alarms to deter potential thieves.
It’s worth being doubly cautious in certain situations.
Car thieves may use the environment to their advantage, such as testing for unlocked doors on a windy or rainy night when their movements are less likely to be heard. And break-ins often happen while people are away on vacation. If you don’t have a lockable garage, it may be worth parking your car at a friend’s house if you plan to be away for a prolonged period, such as a FIFO swing.
“Some local councils offer a rebate for eligible safety and security equipment, such as home alarm systems, CCTV and security lighting.”
Protect your car and family with these home security tips
Home security is critical for vehicle security. In many break-and-enter situations, burglars may only be targeting car keys for a joy ride, or to sell the car through an organised crime network. After all, your ute is worth more than a TV, and it comes with wheels for easy removal!
The good news is that you may be able to part-fund your security measures.
Some state governments and local councils offer a Security Incentive Scheme or Safer Suburbs programme, providing a rebate for eligible safety and security equipment, such as CCTV, home alarm systems and security lighting. Be sure to check your local municipality website for details and exclusions.
A few of the programmes are only available for Seniors Card holders. Others are context-dependent. For example, ACT residents can apply for the Neighbourhood Watch Target Hardening pilot program if they have been burgled in the past two years.
Check your insurance PDS
Car insurers often give a better rate for vehicles that are regularly parked in a fully-enclosed garage, compared to a driveway or on the street.
No matter how secure your vehicle is, having the entire car undercover and under lock and key could help reduce your premiums.
Even comprehensive vehicle insurance policies may only cover around $500 of personal items when claiming a car theft. Unfortunately, if the stolen or damaged items are ‘tools of the trade’ they may not be covered.
However, if the vehicle is damaged or broken into parked at home, contents insurance may cover a higher value of items stolen from a car or secure ute, including work tools. Every policy is different, so check your PDS.
If you’re installing a lockable ute tool box on a tradie trailer or camper trailer, ensure your caravan-camper insurance includes a suitable claims limit for the valuables stored inside. Investing in a tough trailer lock will also make thievery a lot more inconvenient!
Consider an insurance policy that covers losses that occur away from your home, or one for specific high-value items. If the items you store in your ute are primarily used for business (that is, you’d file it as an expense on your income tax return), seeking coverage through a business insurance carrier may be wise.
If you’ve installed your tool box and plan to store valuables, it’s best to contact insurance providers to ask for the PDS and clarification on your coverage.
Protect yourself from criminals when buying expensive tools
As with buying a used car, boat or caravan, completing a PPRS check before purchasing any valuable second-hand tools or equipment is a smart move.
Typically people use the PPRS service to check if a car, boat or trailer has been recorded as written off or stolen. But there is a chance that anything over $5,000 (such as a professional coffee machine or trade machinery) may have a security interest registered against it; that is, money still owing on that item by the seller, which could make it reposessable from you — even if you paid the seller in full!
A check through the government-run PPRS database costs as little as $2 for a search but could save you being out of pocket for thousands of dollars.
Similarly, registering higher-value portable items on the service could help prevent your stolen property from being on-sold, and make recovering it (if located by police) much more straightforward.
Three more anti-theft tech solutions for your ute toolbox
Etching the VIN
Etching your vehicle’s identification number on the windows makes it harder for thieves to resell your car or its parts. Some dealerships may charge a higher price for the service as an anti-theft extra, or you can get a DIY etching kit for as little as $20. You may also wish to etch high-value items with your driver’s license number.
Vehicle Tracking
Many drivers decide to install Airtags or something similar on their vehicle, work trailer, or equipment. While newer vehicle models often have vehicle tracking systems onboard as standard, some GPS technology can be disabled, so having a backup may be a smart move.
Install a front and rear dashcam
Some dash cams can operate when the car is left unattended to catch would-be thieves. Note, however, that sometimes cheaper installations will hook them up to the car’s battery rather than a power bank. Dashcams typically use the same amount of power as an interior light, which can drain a car battery after just a few hours.
Many roadside assistance outfits have seen an uptick in callouts for a flat battery caused by dashcams running from the battery when the car is off.
Lastly, it’s important to remember that you can replace a car or a power tool, but you can’t replace a life. In the case of a vehicle or tool box theft, be sure to look after yourself. By taking proactive security measures on your vehicle, you can help protect your property, prevent an insurance headache and stop criminals in their tracks.
IMPORTANT: The information in this article is general. Consider your circumstances and seek professional advice about security measures and vehicle care, including installation, GVM, insurance, electrical, and finance options.
Sources:
1 – National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council
2 – Motoring Research
3 – Australian Institute of Criminology
4 – ABC News
