Fleet operators are fighting vehicle theft with the wrong playbook

Vehicle theft is getting worse across Europe, and fleet operators may not be responding in the most effective ways. According to a trade report, more than 400,000 vehicles were stolen across Italy, France and the UK combined in 2024, and the underlying conditions driving that figure have not improved.

The problem is particularly sharp for commercial vehicle operators. In Italy alone, van and commercial vehicle theft reportedly rose by 112 per cent year on year, according to data from the national fleet sector cited in the same report. That kind of increase is not a blip; it points to a sustained shift in how organised theft targets working vehicles.

For small businesses and sole traders who depend on a van every day, a vehicle theft is not just an inconvenience. It means lost tools, missed jobs, insurance claims, replacement hire costs and, in many cases, weeks of disruption. The rising frequency of incidents makes the risk harder to dismiss as something that happens to other fleets.

The core argument in the trade report is that many operators are still relying on older protective approaches that have not kept pace with how theft has evolved. While the report stops short of prescribing specific replacements, the implication for any van owner or fleet manager is worth taking seriously: it may be worth reviewing current security arrangements to check they reflect the realities of today's threat rather than the assumptions of a few years ago.