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As the economy continues to be tough, theft will continue to rise.  According to the most recent Equipment Theft Report published by National Equipment Register (NER) and the NICB in 2008, over 13,000 pieces of equipment – ranging from riding mowers to excavators – were reported stolen in the US in that year alone.  

One can only imagine how this number will increase – especially with the popularity of websites like Craigslist and ebay coupled with a tough economy.   Heavy equipment like backhoes and Bobcat’s can be loaded up on a small flatbed trailer, tied down and towed away in a matter of minutes.   And the risk versus reward can be enticing for the criminal mind. 

For example, one can find a used 2004 Caterpillar 420D Backhoe Loader for sale on various websites with a price ranging from $25,000 to $50,000.  One can find a used 05’ Caterpillar CAT 287B Skid Steer MTL Track Loader online for up to $21,000. 

The question you have to ask is how do you know that...

As with any natural disaster, the two things that matter the most are speed and coordination.  How fast can you get your assets deployed and how well can you coordinate those assets to combat the natural disaster?   But, the problem with most natural disasters is that they typically have multiple government agencies mingled with various private sector assets all trying to coordinate with each other. 

For example, the U.S. Coast Guard conducted an exercise in 2002 off the coast of Louisiana that simulated a disaster just like the one we are experiencing today.  (Lessons Learned from 2002 Spill of National Significance or “SONS” Exercise Gulf of Mexico).   The after action report from this exercise acknowledged that problems related to communication, coordination and technology persisted.

In order to deploy quickly, you have to know where your assets are at all times.  In order to coordinate them you have to have total visibility of your assets at all times.   The current...