Preventing Equipment Theft

Tyres, Tools, Lift Axles: A Silent Cost Problem for Fleets

Equipment theft from trailers is frequently underestimated by fleet operators — without justification. While cargo theft makes headlines as a spectacular event, tyre and tool theft occurs quietly, often unnoticed until the next pre-departure inspection. The result is the same: direct property damage, unplanned downtime and rising operating costs.

A single stolen trailer tyre causes direct costs of around €600 — including the tyre, fitting and disposal of the old tyre. If all tyres on an axle or even all tyres on a trailer are stolen, direct costs can reach €3,600, without accounting for towing, downtime and delivery delays. For fleets with many vehicles, several such incidents per year accumulate into a significant and avoidable cost factor.

Organised Tyre and Equipment Theft Rings

Equipment theft from trailers is frequently not an opportunistic crime. Organised groups operate systematically at motorway service areas and logistics sites. They know the vulnerabilities: trailers left unattended overnight or over weekends are preferred targets.

The approach for tyres is standardised: the vehicle is jacked up, tyres are removed and the vehicle is left on improvised blocks. The entire operation takes experienced perpetrators less than 20 minutes. Lift axles are removed in a similar manner — as spare parts, they have considerable resale value on the second-hand market.

In addition to tyres and axles, tool boxes, spare wheel carriers, lighting components and tarpaulin straps are also stolen. Each of these incidents forces a workshop appointment and disrupts operations.

The Gap in Reactive Systems

Conventional telematics solutions monitor the position and movement of the complete vehicle. Equipment theft is invisible to these systems: the trailer does not move, the GPS point does not change. The system raises no alert because, from its perspective, nothing has happened.

Even if a driver notices damage during the pre-departure check, it is rarely possible to establish exactly when the theft occurred — and therefore also not where the vehicle was at that moment. Insurance claims are difficult to substantiate, and the damage ultimately falls to the operator.

Shock Detection Actively Protects Equipment

KONVOI prevents equipment theft through precise shock sensor detection. The sensors capture every anomalous vibration at the trailer — jacking the vehicle produces a characteristic vibration pattern that the AI classification distinguishes from normal operation. The same applies to the forcible removal of axles, tyres or equipment components.

When such a pattern is detected, KONVOI immediately triggers a deterrence chain. The system’s visible and audible response shows the perpetrator that the vehicle is being monitored — and that the risk of detection has increased significantly. Experience shows that perpetrators abandon their attempt when the vehicle responds to the intrusion.

In addition to active deterrence, KONVOI documents every shock event with a timestamp and GPS coordinates. This record provides the necessary evidence base for insurance claims and considerably simplifies communication with law enforcement.

Fleet Availability and Insurance Benefits

For fleet operators, the benefit is not only the prevented direct damage. KONVOI protects fleet availability: a trailer not waiting for parts procurement and a workshop appointment remains productive. For highly utilised fleets, availability is often more valuable than the material value of the stolen parts alone.

Insurance companies increasingly recognise documented prevention solutions as risk-reducing. Fleet operators with verifiable protection through KONVOI can benefit from reduced premiums or improved terms. The investment therefore pays off not only through prevented damage but also through optimised insurance costs.