SubscribeGPS-equipped trucks are stolen from VTS customer; police locate them at local chop shop
DEER PARK, NY – New Jersey-based Sarcona Trucking appreciates the financial benefits of their GPS fleet tracking system, provided by Vehicle Tracking Solutions (VTS). After two of their vehicles were stolen from their Kearny yard, Sarcona employees were able to use the GPS devices installed in the trucks to give the police the exact address where their stolen vehicles were parked, saving the company tens of thousands of dollars.
On the morning of April 25, 2009, a security guard noticed that the chain around the gate of one of Sarcona’s yards was cut. Soon after, the truck’s owner/operator arrived at the yard to find a vehicle missing. He quickly alerted the company’s dispatcher and the operations manager of the theft. Operations manager Kevin Darrar was attending his child’s sports game at the time, but was able to quickly bring up his GPS tracking program, Silent Passenger, on his iPhone and see where the truck was parked.
He immediately contacted the Jersey City police who were dispatched to the scene where the truck was found on cinder blocks outside a chop shop, with seven tires missing. After reviewing the vehicle’s report in Silent Passenger from the previous hours, Darrar noticed that the vehicle had been stopped at another location for a while. Police visited the location from the report and found another chop shop which housed three other stolen vehicles, not equipped with GPS tracking. All four trucks were returned to their rightful owners. One of the additional vehicles recovered was another Sarcona owner/operator’s vehicle. The driver would turn his GPS tracking off on the weekend.
“At first, we had an issue getting our owner/operators to get on board with the GPS tracking,” recalls Kevin Darrar. “They were worried that we were invading their privacy, but what they didn’t realize is that we were trying to protect our assets. After this incident, I think everyone realizes the benefits of a system like this.”
Vehicle Tracking Solutions CEO John M. Cunningham Jr. is not surprised by this kind of story. “In today’s economy, business owners need to eliminate as many risks as possible. Many people think of fuel savings and increased productivity when they are considering fleet tracking- they don’t realize they’re also getting an anti-theft system,” Cunningham stated. “With all of the savings our customers receive, it is clear that an investment in a VTS fleet management system is an investment in your company.”
The VTS tracking devices are installed in Sarcona’s fleet of 32 delivery trucks, long haul trucks and special commodity trailers. The devices allow fleet managers to track latitude, longitude, heading, speed and engine idle status of their vehicles, using the Silent Passenger interface. With VTS technology, customers have saved an average of 11-13 percent on fuel costs, have minimized overtime costs and lowered insurance premiums, and have improved service or delivery efficiencies – all factors that result in a fast return on investment.