Tractor & Heavy Equipment Titles

Jim57 · Apr 16, 2006

Hi... I am Jim. Today I read the post about stolen tractors in Madison County Ohio here for the first time.

There was a thought brought up about titling tractors and heavy equipment. I want to ask what the Pros and Cons are about manufactures not providing titles for such expensive equipment? Is this an oversite of companies or since they know how bad theft is with this type of equipment or are they in on it so they can sell more equipment when it gets stolen? Just seems to me that if I oqned a tractor and heavy equipment manufacture... I would add this to my line so as to draw more business and help my customers out in case of theft.

What are your thoughts on this subject?

Jim

PS: By the way... I am sorry for the loss. I hope they find the culprits and your equipment in tack not damaged. You would think that large of equipment would have some kind of global tracking device in them like the luxury cars. They deserve it much more than cars... most people like this are farmers that provide food for all of us. I challenge all to help find this and other stolen equipment out there. Let's make it EXTRA hard for these thieves to get away with this!

Jim

NoMo · Apr 16, 2006

Millions of boats, cars and trucks are stolen every year. All of these are "titled" vehicles. I just don't see how a piece of paper is going to stop a thief. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

gordon21 · Apr 16, 2006

It's truly amazing that more of this stuff is not stolen every year. I just went on a 45 mile ride to go see my daughter. On this trip I saw approx 85 pieces of heavy equipment beside the road not counting big cranes that run on tracks. I stayed along US1 from my house to where my daughter was and back. Since I just joined TBN a couple months ago, I now watch these things far more. Do you need a couple Cat # 3 or 5 dozers??? Call me and and I go steal about 6 this evening easily. Road rollers, graders, TLB's, big bucket loaders, small-med-large trackhoes and you name it. Assuming you had a couple 20'-35' trailers and tow vehicles and the desire to do so, it seems possible to steal over $100,000 per night. A couple months ago I posted a thread about tracking stolen tractors. My tractor was brand new and I was curious. After paying attention to TBN and the fed/state rules we live with, I am now scared #$*@less. All of these items were within 100' of US1, easily accessible and nowhere near any humans.

frank_f15 · Apr 16, 2006

I personally don't think titleing a tractor or heavy equipt. would do much good , other than add to the cost and not really give the owner any potection. just the other day i was traveling on I90 (NY STATE THRUWAY) A WHOLE bunch of heavy equptment parked in the center median, and a flatbed with lights flashing loading a dozer, whos to say if it was a legit pick up? STATE TROOPER right in front of me. and he gave it no never mind! early evening, seemed natural, never thought about it till i read this post. But who can tell?

Jim57 · Apr 16, 2006

The titling would atleast give a trackable number and a means to know if the equipment was stolen. Right now... if you purchase a piece of used equipment there is no way of knowing that the person that is selling it is the owner. The titling paper work would make selling and buying equipment more legitimate like an automobile. Ever try selling a car and getting a good price for it without a title? Also maybe registration of some kind would allow the tractors to be harder to get rid of it it they stole it. Now as it stands... the person that steals it doesn't have to take it to a place and break down into pieces to sell it.

They can just sell it because they do not have to prove ownership. How can the law even stand when there is NO proof of ownership needed. There is no tracable way and the thieves know this. How many big 18 wheelers get stolen?... I am sure not as many as tractors and construction equipment.

Just a thought... there could be a lot of thiefs detered with titling and registration unless they were taking them to a chop shop and selling parts.

Jim

century3045 · Apr 24, 2006

Titling is only good for putting a tag on something. I have bought 3 farm trailers in the past 3 years, all with titles but since the state of S.C. does not require you to tag a trailer it really doesnt matter if I have a title or not. I have also bought 3 ATV'S in the past few years with titles, one was stolen and even the place I bought it from said if it came in for service work they would never look at the vin no. to see if it was stolen or not. When you sell one it doesn't matter if the title goes with it or not, no one ever looks at that stuff. If you had one stolen you could possibly knock everyone off of their atv long enough to compare serial numbers to your title but I doubt the sheriffs dept. woldn't want to do it. As far as serial numbers/vin numbers go, they can be easily scratched or ground off most equipment. The only possible thing a title could do for you is prove that the property was yours in the rare case that it was recovered in some kind of raid or bust. Most probably the numbers are going to be ground off since titling is not a necessity.

Bedlam · Apr 24, 2006

YEP, Many years ago here, they were building a mall, and at 2 am in the morning someone stloe a large dozer from the roadside. The police came along, and actually helped them get it on the trailer.He of cource never got suspicious.And they got away with as far as I've heard. Things were different back then.Nowadays they would trust people to be telling them the truth. and rightfully so.
No single answer other that safeguards. like a electrical disconect no one knows where it is,One simple one is of cource take the key, but I engage the pto lever. At least if someone doesnt know that it wont start engaged it might slow them.
Sounds like maybe another forum thread might be creative ways people protect their investments...
Allan

Jim57 · Apr 27, 2006

( Most probably the numbers are going to be ground off since titling is not a necessity.
)

I see you don't realize that there ia a chemical that can retrieve the serial numbers when they have been ground off.

Today our deputies have a lot more useful tools to combat this type of theft. Unlike years ago when it was only site.

Why are people against taking as many precautions as possible to deter the thieves? All I hear is negative feedback on this subject. Surely if we put our heads together we could come up with a deterrent against the theft of our equipment.

Jim

jwstewar · Apr 27, 2006

Back to the original comment about the tractors being stolen. They have been recovered - actually they were recovered before your original post. Not taking away your point of titling, just let you know they were recovered. Tractors Recovered Near Ravine

Jim57 · Apr 27, 2006

( Back to the original comment about the tractors being stolen. They have been recovered - actually they were recovered before your original post. Not taking away your point of titling, just let you know they were recovered. Tractors Recovered Near Ravine )

Glad to hear they were recovered. The police must have been really on their toes. Cheers and Great Work!

It would be nice if they were several different ways to track our equipment... maybe it would cut down on theft of equipment.

Jim