Making a difference

IS THERE AN ANSWER TO THE RISING RATE AND COST OF THEFT AND HIJACKING? CTRACK SAYS YES…

Costs of owning and operating a fleet of vehicles have always been substantial. Original calculations of outlay versus income don’t always meet expectations. Add to those problems the very real issue of vehicle crime, such as theft and hijacking, and profitability suffers.

It’s worth talking to any company capable of helping fleet owners manage their transportation investments better – through real time telematics data that monitor driver and vehicle behaviour, as well and through tracking devices which make it possible to recover stolen property.

Ctrack recently released some interesting statistics regarding vehicle crime. Focusing on data collected last year – with certain parameters narrowed to a per month study – the stats highlight aspects of the hijacking and theft landscape at-risk times of day, danger areas and even vehicle makes which appear to be most popular with criminals.

According to the company’s statistics, more vehicles are stolen as opposed to hijacked – though the margin between the two is slim. Most incidents occur between eight in the evening and midnight, with danger ramping up again from 4am to noon.

Gauteng and KZN are the country’s most affected provinces, with Soweto and Umlazi cited as being the most common recovery points.

Statistics relating to sedans recovered by Ctrack in December show that 57% had been stolen and 43% hijacked. A similar study conducted a month earlier in the LCV category show that 59% were hijacked and 41% stolen.

In the case of commercial vehicles that are hijacked or stolen – including LDVs – criminals appear to be interested in cargo only.

Danger routes include the N3 between Harrismith and Villiers, with truck stops and toll plazas identified as areas of main concern. Drivers are warned to be on the lookout for vehicles disguised as police cars.

Ctrack also identifies the road between Deneysville and Villiers as a problem route, as is the N12 between Middleburg and Putfontein. Industrial areas in general are considered no-go for commercial vehicles after dark.

Ctrack recovered 95% of the stolen or hijacked LDVs it tracked in December of 2015. The remaining 5% were attributed to criminals finding a way to jam the tracking signal and/or disconnecting it entirely. Read the article across the page to learn what Ctrack has already done to combat this.

Ctrack is proud of its advanced GPS cellular and GPS satellite technology. The system is superior to an older, passive RF (Radio Frequency) system, as it does not need to be switched on to report position and it gives a far more accurate cooridinates.

“We have helicopters on hand to aide in tracking and recovery of stolen or hijacked vehicles but, frankly, we rarely need to use them. With the new technology, we know the exact location of the vehicle, enabling our ground teams to get on site rapidly” says Ctrack MD, Pierre Bruwer.

With this kind of detailed reporting available, not to mention the high rate of recovery, Ctrack is an obvious leader in the vehicle tracking industry. The company’s ability to monitor and recover vehicles – and cargoes, too – makes its presence in the field invaluable.

Compiled by Kieran Rennie.

This article originally appeared in Future Trucking & Logistics.