After thieves stole a $40,000 Kubota U35 tractor/excavator from a work site in Houston, Texas, the tractor’s owner used Cellutrak anti-theft software to locate and recover the equipment.
HOUSTON, TEXAS, MARCH, 2022 - When the contractor started receiving suspicious low-battery alerts at 5 a.m. on the morning following the theft, he checked the location of his tractor rental on the Cellutrak app and found it had been moved from its secured location. Certain it was stolen, he went to the precise coordinates provided by the app and identified the tractor.
A Cellutrak representative reported, “the contractor liked the fact that he was able to find his tractor right away with only the phone app.” After finding his tractor, he left the area and contacted the police to file a formal report, noting the presence of people in a house near the tractor’s unexpected location.
An investigation of the contractor’s business found that the front gate had been cut and thieves had attempted to disconnect the Cellutrak anti-the t device. Fortunately, the backup battery kept the device on and alerted the contractor. The Houston contractor reports the tractor is in police custody and the police are currently investigating. At this time, he hasn’t been informed of any arrests. Typically, customers contact Cellutrak’s 24/7 live anti-theft support after a theft. According to the Cellutrak website, “Our staff is trained to provide authorities with detailed information to help them obtain the necessary warrants to recover stolen vehicles.” However, features of Cellutrak’s mobile app and anti-theft hardware can be useful to assist customers immediately prior to contacting the support department which can speed up the process.
When thieves attempted to disable the Cellutrak GPS anti-theft device, the backup battery kept it alive. With power diverted to the backup battery, the app sent low power alerts directly to the contractor’s phone. Though the contractor doesn’t think any other eqipment was stolen from this location, this unsuccessful theft isn’t an isolated incident in Houston. Records obtained from the Houston Police Department list over 1,000 reports of motor vehicle theft and about another 1,000 reports of larceny in the city between January and March of 2022. To combat thefts involving high-value construction and farming equipment, Cellutrak formed a partnership with Kubota in 2014.
Cellutrak and Kubota Partnership Leads the Way
Kubota and Cellutrak have partnered together to offer unique products and services yet to be seen in the market. This strategic alliance has distinguished Kubota and Cellutrak as leaders within the industry for both telematics and anti-theft. Exclusive to this partnership, Cellutrak offers a personalized concierge service to all Kubota dealerships and Kubota customers. Since the partnership began in 2014, Cellutrak has recovered numerous Kubota and Non-Kubota machines, representing in excess of $3,740,000 in Canada and the United States.
For the full press release, follow the link here.
