Trailer security involves using electronic or physical measures to deter malicious acts, prevent damage, and thwart theft. Such measures could include the use of trackers, wheel clamps, hitch locks and driveway bollards.

Here we discuss some of the most important things you can do to protect your trailer against theft.

1. Invest and install additional aftermarket trailer security.

Unfortunately, it seems nearly every trailer rolling off the production line now has inadequate or compromised security features fitted. With the rapid development of new digital theft techniques manufacturers haven’t been able to keep up or adapt to the emerging threats. Because of this, trailer owners and fleet operators up and down the UK have been turning to the aftermarket for trailer security solutions to combat these issues.

Trackers – The modern trailer tracker is vital in the recovery efforts of a stolen trailer, without one attempts to find and recover a trailer after theft are vanishingly slim. Insurers often request the fitment of such devices, Thatcham category S5 trackers offer 24/7 theft monitoring and automatic towing recognition as their main features and installation of such a tracker should be on your mandatory to-do list. As part of Thatcham’s security certification, category S5 trackers are insurance-approved products so in most cases are likely to bring your insurance premium down too.

For trailers equipped with no onboard power supply, wireless battery-powered tracking devices can be used.

Many tracking systems can be configured to alert you to any unauthorised movement of your trailer or horsebox through the use of a geofence or by clever algorithms with the presence of a tag and movement validation via GPS.

Clamps –

Wheel and hitch clamps/locks should be used to make life difficult for thieves to get away with your trailer or horsebox. The use of such security measures can help not only slow down thieves but deter them from attempting to steal your trailer or horse box in the first place.

2. Factory-fitted trackers (a false sense of security).

Don’t subscribe or activate a factory-fitted tracker.

If your new trailer comes with a subscription to one then fine but I wouldn’t recommend spending any money on one when equipping the car from new, at handover or even if you have a preowned trailer equipped with one but needing activation. Even if you are already subscribed to the service for whatever reason I’d still recommend having an aftermarket tracker installed.

Why? Because the factory-fitted tracker isn’t really a tracking system for real trailer security purposes. Most are just your ‘connected app’ hardware with a monitoring centre bolted to it then marketed as a factory-fitted tracker. Others, while maybe more of an independent factory-fitted tracker are big bulky outdated hardware easily found by thieves. Manufacturers simply offer factory-fitted trackers and the service as another revenue stream, an expensive one for you too (compared with aftermarket subscription rates).

The main reason to stay away from these factory-fitted ‘trackers’ though is simply because they're fitted at the factory on a production line. Meaning they are all fitted in the same place (model-specific). For instance, take a Range Rover’s factory-fitted ‘tracker’ (it doesn’t matter what type of vehicle, this scenario applies to anything fitted with a factory-fitted tracker), marketed as InControl Secure, that tracker is fitted in the same location on every single Range Rover that comes off the production line, hardly secure, is it? If you know where to look on the internet you can easily find the position of the tracker and remove it. That’s exactly what thieves do, nearly every stolen-recovered vehicle I’ve ever seen had the factory-fitted tracker disabled, but thieves don’t stop there, thieves will also disable all factory-fitted hardware that can communicate with the outside world including the SOS call system.

Interestingly the Range Rover InControl Secure tracker is also category S5 Thatcham and insurance-approved and can be configured as a regular category S7 too. However, such is the ease of factory-fitted tracker disabling and removal that many vehicle insurers of Range Rovers stopped providing cover even with the activation of Land Rover's own Thatcham and Insurance-approved category S5 tracker (factory-fitted), even JLR’s (Jaguar Land Rover) own insurance plan won't cover you. So, a security product that car insurers endorse is now not acceptable even while being a Thatcham-certified category S5 tracker, why?

Because it’s factory fitted. Car insurers (again, we could talk about any insurer for any vehicle type) have learnt the hard way that trackers just can't be factory-fitted, they need to be installed in the aftermarket. They're too easy to find and disable when factory-fitted and insurers have found this out through costly pay-outs on ‘stolen not recovered’ vehicles. The key to trackers is for them to be installed in secrecy, a process known as security through obscurity, having the whereabouts of your trailer factory-fitted tracker on the internet with detailed documentation of how to access it isn’t very secure or secretive, but that’s the case with factory-fitted tracking systems.

While that covers why you shouldn’t rely on a factory-fitted tracker for your trailer security there’s also the matter of dealership-fitted trackers.

Dealership-fitted trackers -Depending on the vehicle manufacturer and dealership, they sometimes work with manufacturers of aftermarket vehicle security and offer customers the fitment of aftermarket trackers in-house at the dealership. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Your new trailer is fitted with a dealer-recommended and supplied aftermarket tracker and is installed by dealership technicians, what’s wrong with that?

Well, their day job isn’t aftermarket security installation, it’s the servicing of their trailer, they’re not professionals in the installation of aftermarket security equipment so you’re unlikely to receive the quality of installation expected from a vehicle security installation professional. As the inherent security of your vehicle relies upon the quality of the installation of your tracking system (how hard it will be to find by thieves if stolen) it is the most important aspect of having a tracking system installed, if it's installed poorly then there wasn’t much point in fitting it at all. If your vehicle is ever stolen a poorly installed tracking system will be found and removed in quick time, resulting in a lot of disappointment, wasted time, and wasted money.

Installation of aftermarket equipment at the dealership means they must also follow strict installation procedures and use connection methods that would otherwise be seen as compromising the covertness of the installation by industry professionals. Dealership technicians also usually follow specifications for the connection and positioning of the tracker provided by the aftermarket manufacturer/supplier, so as with factory-fitted trackers they are likely to be found again in the same locations (model specific).

Therefore, it’s also not recommended you have your tracker installed at the dealership either unless you do your research, ask, and find that an external third-party vehicle security installation professional comes into the dealership to perform their installations, this is the case from time to time as most dealership service departments are usually inundated with their own workload.

Conclusion -

To conclude, it’s wise to invest and install some form of aftermarket vehicle security product in your trailer. With the development of modern digital theft techniques, most modern trailer factory-fitted security features are inadequate leading to an increased risk of theft and failed recovery. For peace of mind, theft prevention and recovery capabilities, the installation of an aftermarket tracker and various types of physical/visual clamping/locking equipment is recommended to prevent modern theft methods but installed by an industry professional, not a dealership unless they use external industry professionals to carry out this type of work.

Electronic Security

We would always recommend you consider installing a Thatcham category S7/S5 trailer tracker. Doing so provides excellent protection against modern digital theft methods as well as enabling a professional and timely, police-backed response to recovery in the event your vehicle is stolen. If your trailer has no onboard power supply then opt for a wireless battery-powered tracker, these can either be used as a back-up to supplement the main hardwired tracker or simply used as a standalone device for non-powered assets.

Wireless backup trailer tracker. The installation of a secondary tracker for extra security and peace of mind is also a good choice. Using a wireless battery-powered tracker enables the device to be installed in even more covert locations on your vehicle, requiring no hardwiring they can be positioned in locations not normally accessible for hardwired devices such as underneath the vehicle or behind exterior panels where vehicle wiring is non-existent. With it being a secondary backup tracker, it can be used to continue tracking a stolen vehicle if the main tracker is lost and provides further resistance to jamming.

Physical deterrents

Clamps and locks, fitted to both the wheels and hitching point can prevent theft of your trailer. Not only will this type of security equipment help slow thieves down it may also stop them in their tracks by making your trailer not worth the effort.

While physical trailer security upgrades do work, it's a common theme that they are normally inconvenient and cumbersome.

Therefore, we would recommend the installation of a main hardwired tracker and a secondary wireless battery-powered backup to go alongside it. If your trailer carries no onboard power supply, then a wireless trailer tracker would be highly advised. After all, without some sort of tracker, the likelihood of finding your trailer once it's discovered stolen is vanishing slim. However, it must be said that physical deterrents do serve well as visual deterrents by making your trailer look far less attractive when fitted with wheel and hitch locks/clamps as well as being parked behind a bollarded driveway.

If your insurer has asked for a trailer tracker to be fitted to your vehicle, they’ll normally request a Thatcham-approved, professionally monitored tracker. Even if you do not require a trailer tracker for insurance purposes it’s still advised to install a professionally monitored tracker.

‘Thatcham Approved’ products are products that have been independently tested by Thatcham. The certification provides reassurance around the functionality, design, performance, and compliance (legislative and automotive quality standards). Thatcham has created the compliance criteria for two Categories of Stolen Vehicle Tracking, Category S7, and Category S5.

We’ll explain the difference between the two categories below.

Thatcham Category ‘S7’

Thatcham Category S7 is a type of standalone tracking unit that is used primarily to secure lower-value trailers. These trackers provide location data and other important features such as driving behaviour monitoring. They are connected to a monitoring centre that operates 24/7/365 with trained personnel who are alerted when the tracker detects any suspicious activity. If any alerts are generated, the monitoring centre will immediately contact the owner of the vehicle.

Thatcham S7 trailer trackers usually come with features like vehicle battery disconnection detection and tow-away alerts to prevent any possible sabotage. Furthermore, the tracking unit has an in-built backup battery that enables it to remain operational even when its power supply is removed.

In the event of a theft, the owner of the vehicle needs to report the incident to the secure control room by phone. The personnel will then liaise with the police to aid in the recovery of the stolen vehicle.

Thatcham Category ‘S5’

Thatcham Category S5 trailer tracking systems are designed for high-value and higher-risk vehicles. They consist of a tracking unit and towing recognition technology which provides fast proactive alerts to any unauthorised vehicle movements.

Driver recognition technology is used to confirm that the driver of the vehicle is authorised to do so. In most cases, this is done by using a small battery-powered tag that is usually attached to the vehicle's key or carried by the driver.

When the vehicle's ignition is switched on, the tracking unit scans to find the signal from the tag. If the tag is detected, then the system sees that an authorised driver is present. However, if the tracking device fails to detect the driver recognition tag, an alert will be sent to the monitoring centre where the owner of the vehicle will receive a phone call to check if a theft has taken place. The monitoring team will then liaise with the police on the ground to recover the vehicle quickly.

Compared to S7 systems where you would need to discover and then report the theft, S5 systems alert quickly to any unauthorised use or theft of the vehicle. This fast alerting is the difference between the two systems. With an S7 device, you may not realise the vehicle has been stolen for several hours, whereas S5 systems ensure the fastest response from the monitoring team and the police, increasing the chances of safe recovery of the vehicle.

S5 systems include all functionality associated with an S7 but with the added benefit of driver recognition.

Stand-alone wireless battery-powered trailer trackers -

For trailers that feature no onboard power supply, wireless battery-powered trackers should be used. Please see our ‘Wireless battery-powered trackers’ page for more information.

When considering upgrades to electronic or physical trailer security, it's helpful to compare their ease of use, cost, range of use, and effectiveness.

Overall, electronic trailer security products tend to outperform physical security in most aspects except cost. Deterrents like driveway bollards and gates can be much more expensive than electronic security systems available in the aftermarket.

Electronic trailer security systems such as trackers and immobilisers provide real benefits in terms of theft prevention. They are simple to use, reasonably priced, and offer protection wherever you go. They are also effective in preventing trailer theft by modern theft techniques.

Physical trailer security deterrents such as wheel clamps, hitch locks, and driveway bollards offer good visual deterrence to potential thieves, which electronic trailer security systems lack by their very nature as they are intended to be secretive. Caravan wheel clamps, hitch locks, and driveway bollards can deter thieves from attempting to steal your vehicle, while electronic security may invite thieves to cause some damage. However, physical deterrents have their disadvantages; wheel clamps and hitch locks are cumbersome to operate, move, and stow away, while driveway bollards require constant manual operation. Driveway bollards also only provide security while your vehicle is at home and do not provide any security once you leave your driveway or storage facility.

In conclusion, it's recommended to install electronic trailer security first and then consider adding physical deterrents for improved trailer security. Electronic security should be installed professionally and covertly to maximise its effectiveness. Displaying stickers or indications of electronic security systems could lead thieves to target and remove these systems. Without any indication of aftermarket security upgrades, a trailer may appear attractive to thieves, making physical deterrents such as wheel clamps, hitch locks, driveway bollards, and dash cams useful.

Its simple!

1. Select the product you wish to have installed and either add it to your bag or go straight ahead and purchase it.

2. Once purchased Specialised Trackers UK will contact you that same day to arrange a date and time for your installation.

3. And that's it, your installation engineer will carry out the installation on the agreed-upon date and time.

4. If you need your vehicle security product for insurance purpose, such as a tracker, once your product has been installed you will automatically receive your ‘proof of installation certificate’ via email. This is the important document your vehicle insurer will be needing to prove the product has been fitted. Simply forward this on to your insurer once you receive it,

5. Your all set and now insurance compliant.