Do Construction Input Costs Impact the Effect of Equipment Theft?
Rising Construction Input Costs Make Equipment Theft Even More Expensive
Construction input costs remain significantly higher than they were one year ago. The producer price index for inputs to new nonresidential construction increased 7.1 percent between June 2025 and June 2026, despite a decrease during June. Aluminum, copper, and steel prices continued to create pressure for contractors.
Tariff changes are also creating uncertainty around material costs, supplier communication, and purchasing timelines. AGC has established a dedicated contractor resource center because firms continue to face changing prices and compliance requirements.
For a construction company owner, this means a stolen machine or trailer may cost considerably more to replace than it did when it was originally purchased.
Theft creates a double financial loss.
The first loss is the value of the stolen asset. The second is the business disruption that follows.
A contractor may face:
The company may also discover that replacing a specialized machine is not as simple as placing another order. Availability, financing, attachments, upfitting, and delivery time can all affect how quickly the replacement can be placed into service.
This makes equipment security an important part of cost control.
Use GPS tracking before a loss occurs
A battery powered construction equipment GPS tracker can be hidden on an excavator, skid steer, loader, generator, compressor, container, or other valuable asset. A trailer GPS tracker can provide location visibility for dump trailers, enclosed trailers, flatbeds, equipment haulers, and mobile storage units.
GPS and Track offers long life battery powered trackers with geofence alerts, movement notifications, and an aggressive tracking mode that can be activated during a theft or recovery situation.
Company pickups, service trucks, and other powered vehicles can use real time hardwired or OBD GPS trackers. These devices provide more detailed travel and vehicle activity information.
The goal is not merely to place a dot on a map. It is to create an early warning system.
Build security in layers
GPS tracking should be combined with secure storage, equipment immobilization, locked trailer couplers, lighting, cameras, controlled access, documented serial numbers, and clear employee procedures.
Geofences can be established around the yard or jobsite. When a protected asset leaves the designated area, the appropriate manager can receive an alert and investigate. After hours movement alerts can help the company identify activity that does not match the work schedule.
Employees should never attempt to confront a suspected thief. Location information should be preserved and shared with law enforcement during a recovery.
As construction costs rise, protecting existing equipment becomes more valuable. GPS and Track gives contractors an additional layer of visibility for assets that may be increasingly difficult and expensive to replace.
Want to try it out?
See our platform and trackers in action by checking out our live demo below.