Construction site theft: not an accident, but a targeted operation
A €50,000 bulldozer has gone missing from a construction site in Merchtem. It was hidden among the trees on private property, at least 100 meters from the public road. Yet the perpetrators knew exactly where to go.
Surveillance footage shows them lying in wait for hours on Brusselsesteenweg. Then, in a matter of minutes, they loaded the machine onto a tow truck and drove away. Professional, quick, and precise.
The story of landscape contractor David Van Doorslaer from Wolvertem made headlines in early May 2026. Unfortunately, however, it sounds all too familiar to many companies in the construction, earthworks, and landscaping sectors.
"The construction site is actually quite a distance from the main road—a full 100 meters onto private property. We had hidden the bulldozer among the trees after we finished work. So the thieves knew exactly what they were looking for. They must have been watching us."David Van Doorslaer, landscaping contractor in Wolvertem — Source: VRT NWS, May 2026
Construction site theft is becoming more sophisticated
What used to be opportunistic theft now appears to be increasingly organized. Perpetrators scout construction sites in advance, familiarize themselves with work schedules, and strike at specific times—preferably during long weekends, construction industry holidays, or vacation periods when no one returns to the site for days on end.
Mayor Maarten Mast of Merchtem confirms that construction site theft is on the rise in the region. And he points to a troubling trend:
"This usually involves delivery vans that are broken into and stripped of all their contents. Even an extra lock on the door doesn't help. They just break that open too."Mayor Maarten Mast, Merchtem — Source: VRT NWS, May 2026
Even more striking: the owner discovered that all bulldozers of that model could be unlocked with a universal key. This shows that traditional mechanical security measures are simply no longer sufficient today.
Why are machines an easy target?
Construction equipment, trailers, and site materials are high on the wish list of organized theft rings for a number of simple reasons:
- High value — even an outdated machine is worth tens of thousands of euros
- Mobile — unlike buildings, machines are portable and can be quickly deployed
- Unmanned at night — construction sites are not guarded outside of working hours
- Hard to track — without a tracker, a stolen machine is quickly lost
- Easy to resell — through international channels or after changing the license plate and VIN
Thieves strike most often during long weekends. Victims sometimes don’t notice the theft until days later—when they return to the construction site. By then, the machine has long since disappeared, either shipped abroad or taken to a secure storage facility.
Why a lock alone is no longer enough
Physical security measures remain useful. Wheel chocks, lock plates, and chains make it harder to move the machine. But they don’t solve the fundamental problem: you don’t know where your machine is.
An organized gang can bypass a mechanical lock in minutes. They have the right tools, the know-how, and—as in Merchtem—even universal keys for certain types of machines. What they can’t get around: a tracker that records their movements and immediately sends an alert.
Van Doorslaer said it himself after the theft: from now on, he will equip all his heavy equipment with track-and-trace systems and additional locks. Not one or the other—both.
CHECK.connect combines GPS tracking, battery solutions for non-powered equipment, motion alerts, and comprehensive equipment management into a single platform.
How live tracking makes a difference
The essence of GPS and IoT tracking for machinery is simple: you always know where every piece of equipment is—even outside of working hours, even at remote job sites, even in the middle of the night.
In practice, this means:
- Live location on a map, for all machines at once
- Motion alerts for unexpected movement outside preset hours or zones
- Get a notification on your smartphone when a machine moves at night or on the weekend
- History of all movements, viewable by machine and by day
- Last known location, even if the tracker stops transmitting a signal afterward
That last point is important: some thieves remove the tracker or place the vehicle in a metal enclosure that blocks the signal. But the last reported location is already a valuable lead for law enforcement.
From "lost" to "found"
The chances of recovering stolen equipment drop dramatically with every hour that goes by without a report. Theft rings work quickly: machines are loaded, transported, and—if they leave the country—are out of reach of Belgian law enforcement within a matter of hours.
When your tracker sends an alert immediately upon detecting suspicious movement:
- Can you provide the police with your live location right away?
- Is there a realistic chance that the machine is still on Belgian territory?
- Do you have historical flight data that documents the flight path?
- Is the response time much shorter than if you don't discover the theft until the next business day?
No guarantee—but it makes a world of difference compared to not using a tracker.
How does GPS tracking for machinery work in practice?
Modern trackers for construction equipment are compact devices that are discreetly mounted on or inside the machine. Depending on the type of equipment, you can choose the right solution:
- Fixed tracker with battery connection — for excavators, bulldozers, mini-excavators, and self-powered vehicles. Ideal for real-time tracking and continuous monitoring.
- Autonomous battery tracker — for trailers, containers, generators, aerial work platforms, and all equipment without a fixed power supply. Runs for months on a single battery charge without an external power source.
- Concealed installation — trackers are installed in such a way that they are not visible during a visual inspection, which reduces the likelihood that thieves will find and remove them.
All data is consolidated into a single platform where you can centrally manage all machines, locations, alerts, and history. Integration with your existing equipment management system—including maintenance scheduling, checklists, and machine hours—is also possible.
Prevention starts with visibility
Many companies invest tens of thousands of euros in machinery without a second thought, but have no idea where that equipment is located outside of working hours. That’s a risk you can significantly reduce with a relatively small investment.
The most effective approach combines three layers:
- Physical security — wheel clamps, lock plates, chains. Increases the difficulty and the time it takes for thieves to break in.
- Live tracking — GPS and IoT. Triggers an immediate alert in case of suspicious movement and provides the police with a location to respond to.
- Procedures — clear guidelines on who is responsible for site security, which machines are left behind and where, and how incidents are reported.
Unfortunately, David Van Doorslaer’s story is no longer an exception. But his decision—made after the fact—to equip all his heavy machinery with track-and-trace technology is exactly the step that more and more companies are taking. Better to act before a theft occurs than after.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Construction site theft is a systemic problem in the Belgian construction industry. Construction machinery, trailers, and site equipment are popular targets because they are mobile, high-value, and left unattended overnight. Furthermore, thefts are increasingly organized: perpetrators scout out sites in advance and strike specifically during long weekends or holiday periods.
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A GPS tracker is discreetly attached to or inside the machine and continuously transmits its location via a cellular network. Through an online platform or app, you can view the real-time location of all your machines on a map. You can set up alerts for unexpected movements outside of working hours—so that you’re immediately notified in the event of a potential theft, even at night or on weekends.
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Yes, but the speed of response is crucial. The faster the police can pinpoint the exact location, the greater the chance of recovering the vehicle. Trackers that continuously transmit their location give law enforcement a real chance of locating the vehicle before it leaves the country. A tracker is no guarantee, but it does make a significant difference compared to having no system at all.
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A hardwired tracker is connected to the machine’s power supply—ideal for excavators, bulldozers, and vehicles with their own battery. A battery-powered tracker (standalone tracker) operates autonomously without an external power source—suitable for trailers, containers, generators, and other equipment without its own power supply. Both types can be integrated into a single management platform.
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The cost of a tracker is typically a fraction of the value of the equipment it protects. Compared to the potential losses resulting from theft—including the loss of the machine, downtime at the job site, and administrative hassle—the investment pays for itself quickly in most cases. Contact us for a quote tailored to your fleet.
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Yes. With CHECK.connect from AllConnects, you can manage all your machines, trailers, containers, and construction site equipment from a single platform —regardless of brand, type, or age. You can view real-time locations, receive movement alerts, review history, and integrate this with equipment management tools such as maintenance scheduling and digital forms.
Do you know where your machines are tonight?
In 30 minutes, we’ll show you how CHECK.connect combines live tracking, motion alerts, and comprehensive equipment management for your construction site equipment.
