With the aid of a Live Link tracking system and some Bear Grylls-like determination, Hewden, the national, multi-product hire specialist has successfully recovered a stolen excavator found buried deep in the undergrowth!
When the team at Hewden’s Dartford depot received an alert from Live Link telling them that one of its new JCB 3CX excavators had been taken, they jumped in to action.
Logging on to the system, they could access an accurate grid reference for the machine’s location. The team then alerted the police, who reacted promptly, but on arrival at the site, were unable to locate the excavator.
At 5am the following day, Live Link sent another alert to say the machine had moved again. On this occasion, members of the Dartford depot team attended the location along with the police, but the excavator was nowhere to be seen, despite the tracker device confirming they were in the right area.
However, the Hewden team is made of stern stuff, and, undeterred, ventured bravely in to the undergrowth, only to find the excavator hidden away beneath tarpaulin.
Jeff Schofield, Hewden marketing director commented:
“This recovery operation wouldn’t have been possible without the combination of the Live Link system and good old-fashioned determination! It’s not just the potential financial loss when a machine is stolen, but the way it can disrupt customer service if someone is waiting for that machine to be used on site the following day.
The benefits of using Live Link is just one of the many value added services we offer to our customers."
About Live Link
All of the new JCB machines within Hewden’s hire fleet are fitted with the Live Link system. When a machine has moved beyond its predetermined protective ‘geofence’, or has been used outside of its specified curfew, the system automatically sends an email alert or text message to the Hewden team.
In addition to sending alerts when a machine has been moved outside of its geofence, the system also provides detailed information on a machine’s health, such as engine oil-pressure and water pressure, and service alerts when a machine is due for maintenance.
The system also allows curfews to be set to specify the times when a machine can be used or when its engine can be started. If curfews are not adhered to, users will receive an immediate email or text notification.
More information on Hewden is available at www.hewden.co.uk.