Entering this year construction equipment theft remained a major issue for contractors nationwide, as 13,542 heavy-equipment thefts were reported during 2009.

Of the 13,542 pieces of equipment stolen, only 18 percent were recovered, according to reports recently released by LoJack Corporation, and the National Equipment Register and National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).

In 2008, the number of reported heavy-equipment thefts stood at 13,511, with 21 percent of that equipment recovered.

“The recovery rate continues to lag, and this clearly shows we have a long way to go with efforts to locate and return stolen property, and reduce losses to businesses and insurers,” said Joe Wehrle, NICB president and CEO.

Of the 13,542 pieces of heavy-equipment stolen during 2009, newer and versatile equipment represented the most common theft target due to the higher resale value/rental costs associated with newer equipment, and the ease of transportation versatile equipment provides.

“On top of the valuable equipment costs – in today’s environment – construction equipment owners simply cannot afford the business downtime, increases in insurance premiums, and contract penalties associated with equipment theft,” said Patrick Clancy, vice president of law enforcement for LoJack.

According to the LoJack’s construction equipment theft report, generators, air compressors, and welders were stolen more than any other pieces of heavy-equipment during 2009.

Backhoe loaders, skip loaders, wheel loaders, and track loaders were the second most popular pieces of equipment for thieves, followed by skid steers.

Through the years, various loaders and skid steers have remained popular amongst thieves because they are compact multi-purpose pieces of equipment that can be used for different jobs – which makes them highly desirable to contractors shopping the resale market.

The rate of skid steer and loader theft is likely to continue as the trend of producing smaller, more compact pieces of equipment continues within the construction industry.

Work trucks and trailers, along with forklifts and scissor lifts represented the fourth and fifth most popular pieces of equipment stolen last year.

These five most popular equipment types represented 86 percent of all construction equipment recoveries documented by LoJack in 2009.

Of all recoveries last year, 65 percent involved heavy-equipment that was five years old or less.

Seventy-five percent of recovered equipment was found in less than 24 hours after being reported to the police, with 14 percent of recovered equipment found in less than an hour.

When stolen equipment is recovered it tends to be found fairly quick, as heavy-equipment theft continues to be a local issue.

“In 98 percent of the cases, the stolen equipment was recovered in the same state in which the theft was reported.  It was recovered either in a storage facility or in use at another jobsite,” according to the LoJack report.

Additionally, construction equipment theft is not confined to city streets and urban areas, as it routinely occurs in suburban areas where construction activity is often more prevalent and jobsites are more secluded.

According to the NICB report, the five states with the most incidents of heavy-equipment theft were Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, and South Carolina. Rounding out the top ten were Tennessee, California, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Ohio.

These ten states accounted for 62 percent of all heavy-equipment thefts in 2009.

The LoJack report’s findings are slightly different, as the ten states with highest theft rates – from first to tenth – included: California, Florida, Texas, Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, New York, Illinois, Colorado/New Jersey, and North Carolina.

In both 2008 and 2009, California, Florida and Texas were the top states in terms of highest theft rates.

Throughout the nation construction equipment theft continues to be fueled by professional crime rings, as law enforcement uncovered nine theft rings and chop shops through tracking and recovering stolen equipment last year.

“Poor on-site security, easy access to open cabs, one key that fits all, and lack of product identification numbers/records are all issues that continue to make construction equipment easy targets for professional thieves.,” LoJack reported.

Typically, thieves resell the equipment to unsuspecting contractors or running chop shops – where they disassemble equipment into valuable resale parts.

To prevent equipment theft, LoJack advises contractors to keep good records, focus on physical site security, and utilize theft deterrents and proven recovery systems.