£2,881. That’s the average value of tools kept in tradespeople’s vehicles. It’s a value which can be even higher, between £3,000 and £7,000, particularly for electricians who need specialist equipment. With the cost so high, it’s understandable that tool theft is an issue for anyone who stores them in their van - whether during the day or during the night.

In our report, we found over half of all the builders we asked had been a victim of tool theft. The best advice tradespeople are given is to reduce opportunity, increase the risk for thieves and delay them. There are plenty of small things you can do to in line with this advice and we’ve got four top secure storage tips to help in the fight against tool theft.

1. Always keep tools stored and secured.

Wherever you park, whatever trade you operate in, keep your tools stored and secured to limit opportunistic thieves. 10 seconds is the average length of time it takes a thief to break into a van, but when faced with a secure storage product, such as our new and upgraded Van Vault, thieves will be deterred or at least delayed.

Our New VaultLock™ technology means each key has a unique 3-axis dimple design, making it harder for thieves to gain easy access to your tools. On top of that, the lid and vault are built using reinforced steel.

2. Don’t just rely on an alarm.

An alarm on your van might give thieves a pause when considering which vehicle to hit, but the cloning of key fobs in recent years has shown that you can’t always rely on what the manufacturer installs with the van.

While an alarm is better than no alarm, it pays to have a more secure line of defence in your storage set up. Should a thief get into your van with a cloned fob, you’ll present them with an altogether tougher task if your tools are under lock and key. The combination of an alarm and secure storage will no doubt present a tougher challenge.

3. Do your research.

It pays to do your research when looking for secure storage. There are some key signs to look for, one of which is security accreditations from official, independent bodies.

  • Sold Secure are premier testers of security products, advising customers, the insurance industry, the police and the Home Office for over 25 years
  • Secured by Design is the official police security initiative, raising the standards of manufacturing with testing and certification 

Van Vault is the only secure storage product for your van with both Sold Secure Silver (the highest available security rating for a product of its kind ) and Secured by Design accreditations. That means you can count on a Van Vault to stand up to thieves and, crucially, delay them in their attempts to steal your tools.

4. Lock it. Double check it.

It might seem like a basic thing, but as mentioned at the top of this article, you don’t want to give thieves an easy ride. We all forget things sometimes, so double check you’ve locked your storage containers before leaving them unattended. Similarly, check the doors of your van have actually locked when using a keyless central locking fob; not only does this protect you against a locking failure, but it protects against the potential for thieves to block the fob signal.

For over 21 years we’ve had your back at Van Vault. We’ve upgraded the security features on what is already the UK’s leading secure storage option, helping you protect your tools both at home and on site.

Check out our full vehicle range here