A vehicle’s diesel particulate filter (DPF) is a critical component for controlling emissions to align with regulations. Similar to a catalytic converter in traditional gas-powered engines, these parts trap and filter harmful environmental contaminants produced during operation. The presence of precious metals within DPFs makes them valuable targets for criminals. Protecting your fleet starts by understanding trends in DPF theft and how to prevent it from happening at your site.
Understanding the Challenges and Impact
DPF theft has a real-world impact on your fleet operations, efficiency, and bottom line.
The Current State and Immediate Financial Cost of DPF Theft
Finding statistics on stolen DPFs is challenging since most sources report it collectively with catalytic converter theft. Overall, theft trends for DPFs have fallen since 2022, at least for the number of claims filed with insurance.
However, with inflation hitting record levels worldwide, the cost of each incident has soared. Replacement for these components is expensive, with the average price per incident reaching $2,900 in the first half of 2024. Damage to other parts during the incident, such as exhaust pipes, also frequently occurs. This damage further drives up the price you must pay to get operational again.
Organizational Impacts Beyond Replacement Cost
A stolen DPF system has far-reaching effects that go beyond one-time replacement. It can also cost you time, frustration, lower revenue, and higher operating expenses.
Even if a vehicle is operational after the DPF is stolen, it’s not legally compliant and may be unsafe. Driving it anywhere except for repairs could involve regulatory fines and penalties or risks to people and property.
Downtime while you await repairs is more than inconvenient. It’s costly to your bottom line, since vehicles that are in the shop can’t be on the road. DPF theft from a single truck that typically brings in $1,000 in daily operational revenue means $5,000 is lost with a week-long stay in the garage. Multiply that by each additional incident, and the result is a dramatic impact on your profitability.
There’s also the time you’ll spend filing police reports and dealing with insurance claims. Expect to spend hours managing paperwork and possibly having to dispute insurance company denials, instead of focusing on your business operations.
How to Prevent Diesel Particulate Filter Theft in Your Yard
There are immediate steps you can take to strengthen your property’s defenses and prevent DPF theft.
1. Position Fleets Strategically
Where does your team leave vehicles at the end of their shift — in well-lit, high-traffic areas, or in locations with reduced visibility at night and plenty of hiding spots?
Strategically parking your fleet can help protect your assets. Depending on your level of risk, consider implementing new parking protocols. If your vehicle fleet features different profiles, alternate them in your available parking spots. Positioning lower-profile vehicles between those with ample ground clearance can make access to valuable components like DPFs more difficult.
Avoid parking near the perimeter if possible. Vehicles too close to property boundaries give thieves faster escape routes and the ability to go undetected. You can also enhance overall visibility on your property by installing lighting and cameras, making it more challenging for intruders to work under the cover of darkness.
2. Document and Manage Your Inventory Proactively
Keeping detailed records is foundational to any robust security strategy. Accurate, up-to-date records of your vehicles, equipment, and high-value components enable you to:
- Identify missing or tampered parts: If a DPF is stolen, thorough documentation helps you spot discrepancies and respond rapidly.
- Support insurance claims: Detailed inventory logs and incident documentation streamline the claims process and help you verify losses.
- Deter would-be thieves: Consider engraving or permanently marking valuable vehicle components like DPFs. Doing so makes them less attractive to thieves, who may find selling marked parts more challenging.
3. Invest in Employee Training
Your people are among your business’s most valuable assets. Develop comprehensive security training programs that emphasize:
- Awareness: Educate your teams on red flags that can indicate suspicious activity, potential vulnerabilities, or signs of tampering.
- Response: Ensure your team knows how and where to report any concerns they recognize. Employees who know the correct protocols are better equipped to respond quickly and appropriately.
- Accountability: Regular training helps ensure that all team members understand their responsibilities and adhere to site-specific security policies.
- Prevention: The presence of a well-trained and vigilant team can make thieves less likely to target your property.
4. Integrate Layers of Security for Maximum Impact
Smart security starts with proactive solutions that keep thieves off your property. Begin at the perimeter with physical barriers, and integrate other solutions to take a multi-layered approach against DPF theft.
Installing a chain-link fence is not enough to make thieves think twice. Invest in an electric fence installed inside your existing fencing, which will act as a primary physical and psychological deterrent. Electric fencing delivers a safe but memorable pulsed shock to any would-be intruders.
Once your electric fence is in place, add other security measures for an integrated approach, including:
- Alarm-based lighting that integrates with your electric fencing, flooding the area with light if a criminal attempts to breach the fence.
- Video surveillance with strategically placed cameras to cover as many angles as possible and capture criminal activity in real time.
- Remote video monitoring to watch over your perimeter 24/7/365 and verify legitimate threats.
- Gate Access Control at entry points and exits with features like AI cameras and credential readers.
- Enhancements like laydown fencing to prevent intruders from digging under, and vegetation control to give criminals fewer places to hide.
5. Work With Perimeter Security Experts
You must understand your unique risks before you can effectively secure your property and vehicle fleets. Start with a free threat assessment from the security experts at AMAROK. As part of this assessment, we will identify your operational vulnerabilities and develop customized strategies to address them, once and for all.
Working with AMAROK also provides you with:
- Access to proven solutions that prevent external theft and protect your assets.
- Guidance on the most effective approaches for your specific needs and challenges.
- Support from a nationwide network of security professionals who understand your industry.
- Peace of mind knowing your security strategy is designed, installed, and maintained by experts.
A proactive partnership helps you stay ahead of threats while you focus on what matters most — running your business.
Protect Your Fleet Against DPF Theft With AMAROK
AMAROK is an industry-leading provider of perimeter security solutions. It all starts with The Electric Guard Dog™ Fence, which prevents 99% of external theft for over 8,000 customers across the United States. Contact your local AMAROK expert or connect with us online and take the next step toward safeguarding your fleet with unified perimeter security.
