How Mexican Fleets are Fighting a Rise in Violent Burglary

The Mexican Mobility Industry Faces an Existential Threat: Organized Crime

Mexico is experiencing an unprecedented rise in violent crime. In March, 2,385 homicides were committed – the highest number since 1997. Although criminal groups and drug cartels run rampant, hard-working fleet professionals still have to get on the road and do their jobs.

Unfortunately, this means that thefts are all too common. It’s not unusual to open a Mexican newspaper and read, “On an empty rural road, a cargo truck was stopped by men with high caliber weapons. The gang’s signal jammer prevented the driver from requesting help. They forced the driver out and drove off with his truck, leaving him stranded in the middle of nowhere.”

Usually, these gangs eventually abandon stolen vehicles – but not before stealing the goods in their containers and the gas in their tanks.

Fighting Back with Advanced Technology

In order to protect employees, assets, and cargo, the industry is turning to a number of new technologies. The criminals they’re facing are sophisticated – in order to beat them, mobility professionals are using cutting-edge:

Dynamic Geofencing: Many fleets have built virtual geofences around the most dangerous parts of their drivers’ routes. When an asset enters these areas, an automatic message is sent to dispatchers and supervisors, so the team knows to react quickly to any unusual activity.
Trip History Reporting: If thieves steal an and dismantle a tracking device, a Trip History Reporting tool lets approved parties review exactly where and when the crime occurred – as well as where the truck went before its GPS was turned off.
Engine Cut-Off: When a driver reports that their vehicle has been stolen, or if dispatchers believe a vehicle has been hijacked, this technology lets supervisors turn off its engine. Even if a thief is hundreds of miles away from the operation’s home office, they’ll run out of luck when they can’t drive their stolen truck one inch further.

One company sells all of these technologies and more – FleetUp. With the industry’s most comprehensive all-in-one telematics platform and 24/7 customer support, our team has helped mobility businesses from Canada all the way to Chile. Today, our Mexican customers depend on our technology’s accuracy and our responsive 24/7 customer support. Because when it comes to safety, every second counts.