You Bought It at the Show. Set It Up Before Its First Job: Why New Equipment Is What Thieves Want, and the Day-One Records That Get It Back

You Bought It at the Show. Set It Up Before Its First Job.

Why New Equipment Is What Thieves Want, and the Day-One Records That Decide Whether It Comes Back

Infographic: 56 percent of equipment stolen in 2016 was made in the last five years, the most stolen model year was the newest at 1,987 thefts, and only 21 percent of stolen equipment was recovered, according to the NER and NICB 2016 Equipment Theft Report.

The new mower came off the dealer's truck on Friday. The plastic is still on the seat. Somebody already took a picture of it for the company Facebook page.

On Monday it goes out on a trailer with a crew, to a job site, where it will sit at the curb for hours. It is the most valuable machine you own, and right now, nobody has written down its serial number.

Equip Expo just wrapped up in Louisville, and a lot of landscaping companies are taking delivery of new equipment this fall. The equipment theft data says the first day you own a machine is the best day to set it up for the worst day.

Thieves Want the New One

The most recent equipment theft report from the National Equipment Register (NER) and the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) broke down 2016's thefts by the year each machine was made. The single most stolen model year was the newest one: 1,987 thefts of 2016 models, followed by 1,613 2015 models. Machines made in the last five years were 56 percent of all thefts, and machines made in the last ten years were 75 percent (NER/NICB 2016 Equipment Theft Report).

The report's explanation is blunt: "If given the choice between two similar machines a thief will choose the newer, more valuable machine because they are equally easy to steal." It also notes that, unlike cars, equipment security has not kept up. "Many heavy equipment manufacturers installed as few security features on 2016 models as they did on 1990 models."

That is the opposite of cars, where newer models carry more antitheft technology and older ones get stolen more. With equipment, new means more valuable, and not much harder to take.

Records Decide Whether It Comes Back

Of the 11,574 equipment thefts reported in 2016, only 2,442 were recovered, about 21 percent. The report lists the reasons recoveries are so low, and two of them are about paperwork: "equipment owners' inaccurate or nonexistent ownership records" and "complex and often ambiguous equipment identification number formats" (NER/NICB 2016 Equipment Theft Report).

Its recommendation is specific: "At a minimum, equipment owners should keep accurate lists of equipment with PIN/serial numbers and submit them to law enforcement, their insurers, and NER as soon they discover a theft. When they purchase equipment, owners should register serial numbers in the NER database so that the information is available to law enforcement 24 hours a day."

"When they purchase equipment" is the key phrase. The day it arrives is the day the records are easiest to get right: the paperwork is on your desk, the plates are clean, and nobody has had a chance to lose the bill of sale.

Day-One Setup for New Equipment

1. Photograph the serial plate. Get a clear, close photo of the PIN or serial number plate, and a second photo showing where on the machine it is. Equipment ID formats are one of the reasons the NER report gives for failed recoveries, so the exact characters matter.

2. Photograph the whole machine. All four sides, plus anything that makes it yours: a dent, a decal, an aftermarket part.

3. Add it to your equipment list today. Make, model, year, serial, purchase date, price, and dealer. Keep the list on your phone and in the office, not just in the truck.

4. Register the serial number. The NER report recommends registering serial numbers in the NER database at purchase so law enforcement can identify the machine "even during weekends or at night."

5. Call your insurer. Make sure the new machine is on your policy schedule with the right serial number and value. See "Insurance Covers It." It Covers the Mower. Not the Next Four Days.

6. Put a tracker on it before its first job. The report's top reason for low recovery rates is "delays in discovery of thefts." A tracker that alerts on movement is how a theft gets discovered in minutes instead of on Monday.

7. Do not leave it on the trailer. The same report says equipment "should also never be left on trailers," and that work sites usually have lower security than your own yard. A new mower on a trailer at the curb is the easiest theft there is.

Where Alertrax Fits

Step 6 takes about two minutes with Alertrax, and it works on equipment that has no battery or wiring of its own.

  • No Wiring, Two AA Batteries: Mounts on a mower, trailer, or skid steer in minutes with a magnet, zip ties, or screws. Nothing to wire into a new machine's harness.
  • After-Hours Movement Alerts: Set nights and weekends as parked hours. If the new mower moves, your phone tells you right then.
  • AddressFence and Geofence Alerts: Get notified when the machine arrives at or leaves the yard or a job site.
  • Live Fleet Map: Every tracked machine on one map in the Alertrax Fleet Portal, with location updates as often as every 2 minutes while moving.
  • Shareable Tracking Link: If something does move, send the responding officer a live link along with the serial number photo from step 1.
  • IP67 Waterproof: Built to take rain, mud, grass clippings, and the pressure washer.
  • iOS and Android App: Alerts and the map on your phone.

Pricing

You can equip your fleet with Alertrax for a low monthly rate, no long-term contracts, no hidden fees.

(Want to own it outright? We offer a $599 Lifetime option for permanent, subscription-free tracking.)

Sources

National Equipment Register (NER) and National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), "2016 Equipment Theft Report," published 2017, retrieved October 2026: 11,574 equipment thefts reported to NCIC in 2016 and 2,442 recoveries (21 percent); top model years of stolen machines, led by 2016 (1,987) and 2015 (1,613); machines manufactured in the last five years were 56 percent, and in the last ten years 75 percent, of thefts reported in 2016, with the report noting that owners sometimes misstate the year of manufacture; analysis that thieves choose newer machines and that equipment security has changed little since 1990 models; factors in low recovery rates including delays in discovery, inaccurate or nonexistent ownership records, and complex equipment identification number formats; recommendations to keep serial number lists, to register serial numbers in the NER database at purchase, and that equipment "should also never be left on trailers." This is the most recent edition, and its figures are a decade old

This article is provided for general informational purposes and is not legal, insurance, or law enforcement advice. The new mower scenario is an illustration, not a customer case. Never pursue a stolen vehicle or confront a suspect yourself; call 911 and follow the instructions of law enforcement. AlerTrax is a GPS tracking company, not a law enforcement agency or insurer, and no tracking device can guarantee recovery of stolen property.

Ten Minutes on Day One

Photos, a line on the list, a call to your insurer, and a tracker. It takes less time than unloading the machine, and it is the difference between a police report with a serial number and one without.

Visit www.buyalertrax.com today and put a tracker on the new machine before its first job.