Portable Storage Takes a Bite Out of Construction Site Crime

The National Insurance Crime Bureau estimates that $1 billion worth of construction equipment and tools are stolen each year. What’s more, construction theft reports to insurance companies have increased by 10 percent to 20 percent each year since 1996, according to the Insurance Service Office.

Security device vendors and equipment registries are emerging with a single goal: to prevent the theft of heavy equipment. But rampant theft of tractors, skid steer loaders, like the Bobcat, and backhoe loaders are only part of the problem. Construction tools are also at risk.

Indeed, industry stakeholders report expensive tools are often stolen from construction sites long after the workers head back home. The tools often wind up for discount sale at a flea market, where there are no resale licenses or accountability for the source of the merchandise. The tools, then, can be converted to ready cash, making them a desirable target for petty thieves.

Because fencing around a construction site is considered a fire hazard, construction foremen must find some other means of securing tools on-site. That means is portable storage, said John Finnessy, CMP, Executive Director of the National Portable Storage Association (NPSA), a nonprofit membership association dedicated to the advancement of the portable storage industry.
NPSA-sanctioned portable storage containers are manufactured from steel, offering strength and security that is unrivaled by traditional tool sheds or lockers. The containers are readily available in sizes ranging from 10 feet to 40 feet.

“We’ve seen an increased demand for portable storage in the construction industry over the past several years as insurance companies cry out for a solution to this costly problem,” Finnessy says. “Containerized storage can be kept on site and secured, making it a convenient solution to an inconvenient problem.”

Beyond securing tools, portable storage also offers a low-cost alternative to erecting temporary office facilities that will later be torn down. Portable storage containers can be easily modified to add roll-up doors, windows, electrical outlets and even air conditioning, making them an ideal, secure office space. When the building is complete, the container can move on to the next job or, if rented, be returned to the vendor.

“Construction crews tell us portable storage has been a godsend to their operations,” said NPSA Operations Manager Joel Rathbone. “Containerized storage addresses two challenges at once. It frees workers from carrying heavy tools to and from the jobsite each day, and it also offers convenient outpost for clerical workers who need to be in close contact with the crew to help ensure orders are carried out on time and on budget.”

For more information, visit www.npsa-us.org.

The National Portable Storage Association
The National Portable Storage Association is dedicated to the advancement of the portable storage industry. We at the NPSA are here to serve those in the portable storage industry who rent, sell or lease containers, trailers and mobile offices. The NPSA assists members with industry, regulatory and workforce issues; plus, offers members networking, marketing and legislative support at national, state and local levels.

PR Contact:
Jennifer LeClaire
Self Storage Promotions
954.454.0072
jennifer@selfstoragepromotions.com
www.selfstoragepromotions.com