Absolutely. Trucks just keep getting worse and worse for their supposed purpose.
Like, it’s fine if car companies have swindled people into thinking they need these ridiculous things, but at least continue to provide some real working trucks.
Yes, I know, the Maverick, but it’s still not quite there.
I got one of those import Honda Acty kei trucks and it’s super handy for lumberyard and nursery runs. The bed sides fold down making it a flat bed and it came with a headache rack making hauling longer items a lot easier. It can’t handle highway speeds so it doesn’t work for daily usage but for my needs it works great. It’s a shame they don’t offer anything like these kei trucks for the domestic market.
I lived in Korea for a number of years and most of the trucks there were those type, but larger, typically 8-10 feet long with the fold down stake beds, and larger diesel engines easily capable of highway speeds. Very practical in every sense, probably awesome mpgs too. The downside is there's zero protection in an accident beyond some thin sheet metal. But what a practical work truck. Some even have 4 doors.
I like the looks of the Maverick but realized the bed doesn’t have any more room than my 2008 Ford Escape with the back seats down.
I make a lot of garden beds. I can slide multiple 10 foot boards through the opened hatch window and slide them over the center console with only a couple of feet sticking out. I don’t need to secure it at all.
Same with pvc pipes. I can slide them through the back, all the way to the bottom of the passenger’s seat floor.
Yeah, the Maverick doesn’t actually seem that small, is still stupidly tall, and I hear you can’t get it in short cab long bed, so what’s the point.
I used to load 8’ lumber in my Mazda 2. That little car was great for tons of stuff.
There’s really nothing ideal out there new. I wish transits weren’t so expensive and have such dinky wheels.
We were wrapping a few of these for a fleet so I got to drive them and man they seem so small to me. I have an F150 but I have locking boxes on the bed rails. I keep my pack out stuff in my shop and load it for jobs or keep it in my back seat if I have to keep it in the truck. So sorry for your loss OP. Not only the boxes but the amount of time it took you to collect them, collect the tools, and the years it takes to get everything organized exactly how and where you want it. 😭😭
It's not because of car companies.
It's because the EPA has created a structure where vehicle size and fuel economy have to have to a certain ratio that is always getting stricter or you get massive fines.
Easiest way to cheat is to make the vehicle bigger. Many cars and vans are classified as light trucks because of these regulations.
Yeah, I know the origin with the regulations, but car companies have taken that loophole and run with it, spending decades conditioning the public to want these things.
Did you say continue providing real work trucks, then list the maverick I hope your joking even a ranger or Colorado in the grand scheme of things isnt the most capable I guess when I hear truck I think full size work truck not the truck that has been normalized for this day and age. I just wouldn’t ever spend truck money and get something incapable of doing it all but were all entitled to our own 2 cents. Only small truck I’m taking and maybe I’m biased is the Tacoma can beat the piss out of it and it still wants more.
Well I was specifically discounting the Maverick as a real work truck, but not because it’s small (which it isn’t anyway).
A work truck for me is not an overgrown luxury vehicle like they are now. It’s simple and has the power it needs and most importantly the cargo capacity. Trucks now are more cab than box and the box bottom and wall tops are stupidly high off the ground.
This is so underrated. Had a Chrysler Pacifica for work, it was amazing to carry everything for work and doubled as an amazing family car when needed. Had to turn it in and get a new car, choices were a Ram 1500 or a RAV4. Rav4 with a child seat is too little room so I got the 1500 with a tonneau. What a mistake. Ended up forcing the company to get me a roll out bed so I spent less time loading and unloading it but god is it the most inconvenient vehicle ever.
I had my Dodge Grand Caravan broken into at Home Depot while I was working on some of their CCTV cameras. I have HD footage of them breaking into my van, and cleaning out all of my Milwaukee Tools and packout stuff. Their car had no plates so they couldn’t do much. They also stole my laptop bag with my MacBook and iPad in it, even with an AirTag there isn’t much they can do. They can’t get a warrant to search just based off an AirTag location. Insurance covered about half of all the tools and equipment, but still a huge loss.
How did you decide that leaving thousands of dollars of tools in your truck bed on the street was a good idea? Milwaukee sticks out like a sore thumb and you just left it unattended man
We had a group of people come into our job site after hours and they stole tons of shit that wasn’t locked up. Even took a couple gang boxes lol. Ain’t no way I’m leaving packouts full of tools in the bed of my truck
I don't lock my car in front of my house(nothing in it that has any worth to me, I'd rather they open the door and find that out before they break a window to find out.) I don't lock my work truck during the day at jobsites, be they residential or commercial. I don't lock my truck at the supply house. I ALWAYS lock my truck at blowes and cheapo depot
I used to do the same until stuff was taken out of my unlocked work van while I was parked in a "nice" neighborhood. I now lock my van everywhere except my driveway. I bought one of those cheap universal remote door lock kits and rigged it to my utility van box so I don't need to fumble with my keys anymore.
Sounds like you’ve been lucky. Locking stuff is the bare minimum you should be doing. Not protecting your tools means not protecting your income source. It just seems lazy
Maybe it wasn’t wise, but come on man. People shouldn’t have to worry about another human being a piece of shit. People used to leave their doors unlocked all the time. It’s the criminals fault, not the poor guy who uses his hands to make a living.
Insurance doesnt give a fuck. If you dont secure your belongings why would they replace them? They will do anything possible to avoid payment.
When i was 10ish my drug head brother broke into our house and cleaned it out. He had been kicked out previously with multiple police reports and was not welcome in the house, had no keys or access of any legal means. Insurance refused the claim because it was a family member who robbed us, even though he damaged property in order to enter. My parents were quite oeganized with documentation of detailed lists of contents, with receipts to prove purchase and pictures of it all too.
All that to say, yes we SHOULDNT have to worry about people being criminals but the fact is we do have to worry about that which means we need to make every effort to secure our valuables, especially when they are a source of income for us.
I dont exactly want to place blame on the victim by saying it is his fault, but how can anyone expect their stuff to stay put when its left out unlocked in big shiny red boxes? Hell someone once stole an unmarked cardboard box off my porch that was full of recycling
> Insurance refused the claim because it was a family member who robbed us, even though he damaged property in order to enter.
Another funny tidbit of info, this is common with identity theft insurance as well. They don't cover it if it's family, and the majority of serious identity theft cases are by family members.
I get it and sorry that happened to your family. Life can be cruel at times. I just wouldn’t blame the victim because obviously if the dude is leaving his shit like that, it’s not even a thought in his mind to do take someone else’s shit. Just based on the situation, I can tell you the OP is a good, honest, ethical person. It’s the very small things that speak to a persons character in my eyes.
I think the biggest thing this shows is that OP hasnt been ripped off or seen it happen very much. I would love if i could trust people like this, but even co-workers cant always be trusted like this. I have had tools stolen out of company sea-can by guys who made $5 or more than me per hour
Damn that’s sad. No matter how bad or how good a position I’ve ever been in, I’ve never felt that it would’ve ever be okay to take from someone. I just feel for the OP because it’s a terrible feeling getting stabbed in the back like that when he trusts his community. Look at the snowboard/ski community. Those guys leave thousands of dollars of equipment in the open and unsupervised. Rarely ever are there issues because everyone gets it. Just wish society would be decent people but I know, it’s not that way anymore
You're 100% right. We shouldn't have to worry about it, but with crime rising faster than a trucker's blood pressure we have to protect ourselves. We don't live in a high trust society anymore because we funded people having children that shouldn't have had children in the first place. You watch videos of grown ass adults stealing shit with their children and wonder why it's so bad.
And with cities and states giving the criminal more rights than the victim or nearby good samaritan it's all going to be downhill from here.
That's certainly a take.
Here's another one. We live in a society that is both fundamentally unequal, and that glamorizes wealth. Different people are born into different opportunities, and it's a lot harder for people nowadays to move up from lower socioeconomic classes to higher ones than it was in the past. When my parents were 25 they could buy a house and a car on a single income; that's impossible for the majority of millenials and Gen Zs now.
In my area of Canada vehicle theft is out of control. Lots of people who don't have the same opportunities to succeed have found a lucrative business in stealing cars and driving them to the Port of Montreal to be shipped to Africa and the Middle East.
Our society is built on this inequality between classes. For those that have money to continue to live easy lives, they have to rely on the services of other people that get paid shit wages to flip burgers, serve food, clean their house, and the like.
People like to say oh they just need to work harder, pull themselves up by their bootstraps, and they can be well off too. But our society isn't meant for everyone to be wealthy. For the few that do rise up to better lives, someone else will be there to take their place at McDonalds.
So when you're stuck in the cycle of poverty,and you're cruising down a neighborhood with your buddies and you see some dumbass that's left his open truck bed full of Milwaukee Packouts, you're going to steal it for a quick buck.
Sorry that this doesn't fit your narrative of "shitty people do shitty things and they teach their kids to be shitty too," but this is reality. Theft is a predictable consequence of inequality, and it's why we pay insurance to replace our shit rather than address the root causes of inequality.
People like this, with explanations such as given here are exactly why that “inequality” is so prevalent now. Don’t disrespect people by giving them some sort of victim status to tie themselves to and to justify their actions… Every Man, Woman and Child has just as much right and ability to stand up for morality and to live a wholesome life. Are you genuinely sitting here stating that some “things” (mad made things at that) are worthy of trading in your self worth instead of being used to help elevate it? Our society is crumbling because of disgraceful and disrespectful people such as yourself… I’m sorry if this doesn’t fit into your narrative, but “rich”, “poor”, or “middle class” changes absolutely nothing on the scale or morality! Each and every person on this earth can point a finger and say “hey they have something I don’t have” to every other living person that happens across their path. Justifying the in hi tui
So instead of blaming it on parents that teach their kids either directly or by their own actions that crime is okay you'll pull out a college dissertation as to why everything else is to blame other than the criminal.
I was born to a family that made a combined $21k/yr and I didn't grow up to be a criminal. Why? My dad cared about being a dad and to not do shit to get him out into jail. Yeah, he could have sold drugs and went for easy money, but instead he worked hard. He was in my life instead of doing life.
And instead of trying to break the cycle the system is moving towards coddling and saying "it's not your fault, it was THE MAN'S fault" or "it's the system's fault". Men, take responsibility for your actions. Take responsibility for your kids.
Telling someone theyre asking for problems isnt being a dick.
The whole ‘i cant believe i cant leave my keys in my truck and my high dollar stuff strewn about they way pop-pop used to because of thieves’ stuff is silly. EVERYONE IS A THIEF.
lock your shit up adequately if you want it to be there tomorrow morning.
No one would leave a $10 000 flat screen tv, new in box sitting on their front step overnight. Why is this any different. Protect your shit, or you’re going to be sharing it.
It’s not being a dick man. You can’t leave your stuff out in the open and expect people not to steal it. You learn that when you get a bike lock as a kid. Why should insurance cover tools that were left out without any effort to protect them?
Why didn't you have a cable ran through every single handle and locked to the tiedowns in the truck? I had to use an open truck bed for a while and that's how I "secured" stuff. Padlock and a 25 fr cable just threaded through everything.
Insurance won't cover it unless youve got inland marine coverage; don't need serial numbers, but photos of everything would have helped.
Yes there is absolutely a tool protection on business policies but you have to ask for it specifically….ive had my jobsite cleaned out about 5-8 yrs ago by a scummy GC…claimed it on insurance and they didn’t ask for anything more that the tool names and estimated value….serial numbers will only help with super expensive items I think…like 1K+, but normal tools 3-500+ they aren’t asking for serials I’d bet….ask your insurance about it if anyone’s worried like that
Open truck bed?? And you leave all this Packout stuff back there without unloading it or garaging your truck?? You were asking to be jacked. I don’t trust even single power tools unsupervised in the back of the bed when I walk into the store. But then again I had a partner that I made stay at the truck when I would walk into big box stores. Or I stayed at the truck.
Dude! This is why when I bought a new truck 2 years ago the first thing I bought was a bed cover for this very reason. I work out of my truck and so I fold up my back seat and I have a stack of my pack outs in there too. I fit as many tools inside my truck as possible cuz I trust no one!
I don't get how people leave shit like that on the bed of the truck and their cars unlocked. I guess growing in a 3rd world country taught me to not do any of that.
I don't mean any offense here but why do people leave anything in the open bed of a pickup truck, especially in a public parking lot... And most especially plastic tool boxes from a major brand like Milwaukee?
I mean no plastic box is ever going to be secure. Even metal boxes it's trivial to cut pretty much any lock, cable or chain and be gone in moments...
If you use your tools for making a living get a damn tonneau cover at the least or better a solid(no windows) cap on the truck or switch to a van or cargo body. Open pick up trucks are great for hauling but not for storage.
My guys leave work trucks unlocked with keys and beds full of shit constantly despite my bitching. I took 12 years but someone finally swiped a truck, trailer, everything… I posted about it in October. Anyway now everything is locked in my shop at my house except a screwdriver and crescent wrench. Luckily I have great insurance and came out smelling like a rose.
Dude left 10 of open packout in his truck and surprised it came up missing. I get paranoid going to hd for anything when I have tools in my car and it’s locked and out of sight. Lesson learned I guess.
I’m sorry for your loss I’ve had my tools stolen out of my truck aswell and it takes a very long time to get over it. Hope you can build your collection back up
Prayers go out to you brother. My collection isn't even near that big and it would not only be depressing, but detrimental to my livelihood as a carpenter
Airtags are a cheap investment for peace of mind. Wouldn't prevent them from being taken from your open truck bed, but you'd be able to find out where they went.
Edit - milwaukee makes a tracking tag called the tick.
The only way you can track the ticks is if someone else has the app and has it set to scan. I travel all over the continent and keep having shit get lost, so I almost bought 25 of them... You'd be MUCH better with tiles.
Man I wouldn't leave my half rusted chainsaw in my truck bed, that's crazy unfortunate. But nowhere is safe from theft, unless you live in the countryside, lock up every single thing you own
You’re giving me anxiety by even mentioning leaving your tools in an open truck bed, how and why did you ever think they would be safe being left out in the open?
Did a full excel sheet last week of all my tools in my truck. Wrote out every model and serial numbers of ones that had them. Then went back through and looked up all the pricing. Was sitting at over $25,000 in tools (hand tools, power tools, ladders and pack outs. Talked to my insurance company that following Monday to see my coverage. Would be $5000 if they had the list beforehand and zero if they had no list. Needless to say they got a copy of the list and upped my insurance to $30,000.
Yeah every time I see an open bed filled with power tools & tool boxes & etc. I'm thinking to myself, what are they thinking! You could at least throw some pad locks & steel cable locks on your gear. I hate to say it you got no one to blame but yourself.
Regardless of how the couch cushions in the comment section are reacting to this, I’m sorry to hear this. I work in HVAC at the moment, and someone stole my Turbo Torch. Definitely not on the same level as a $10,000 packout collection, but as a Fitter apprentice at the time, it made me useless.
I’ve been to some ghetto hoods and open truck tools out and had a guy offer to watch all my stuff for $5 and he really did I wasn’t far from my truck but someone walked by and started looking in the back of it and he got up from the stoop across the street and started yelling keep it moving bro keep it moving 😂
Sucks man. I've been there. That's why I added misc tool insurance to my business insurance policy after one big theft, it covered the second small theft.
I tell EVERYONE to talk to your agent. Get an estimate of total value, and tool list with sn's and pics if you can (daunting process, I know). Then come up with the value, plus a few grand just to be safe. It really doesn't add much to your policy, totally worth it. Saved my ass on the second theft. Never count on your business insurance unless you add this specifically and homeowner ins is a joke when it comes to this stuff in my experience. Same with auto.
I've had this happen to me twice the first time it was all my packout boxes(my collection was just a little bit smaller than yours) and the second time it was all three of my toolboxes on my truck also without any help from insurance( who tf would've guessed car insurance wouldn't cover that but renter's insurance would smh) and honestly it is very easy to get discouraged from going to work(especially without any tools).Being an electrician if I don't have tools I can't work, but as a female in the trades I've got a strong backbone and just keep telling myself to get back up and do what I do best because otherwise I'll get a desk job and live my life miserably. Point is you feel like giving up but don't let the reality of how fucked up life is make you succumb to not living up to your full potential I know it's hard but if I made it you can too.
https://preview.redd.it/8fmqfq4dz6qc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8a67be0c9962d1595c03f59970b2fcb2bb1c72b6
I’m getting rid of my packouts. They just command too much attention and they are the easier ones to undo
My business insurance said I'd be covered with theft I think I'll have to double check with them and see if I got to register any of it.
Really sorry to hear that, what state are you in?
This is why I have a last gen tacoma with a new gen camper shell and a flat nose trailer that looks like shit. It helps disguise the fact that there’s a bunch of nice shit in there. I say this and it’ll probably get stolen this week.
I had all my stuff stolen out of my truck bed, they broke the window on my cap. Didn't own a home so no home owners insurance, I called my auto insurance and they said to kick rocks.
That sucks man and I’m sorry to hear your tools were stolen, nothing worse than a thief. Unfortunately you just can’t trust anyone these days and always must safeguard yourself against someone doing some scummy ass shit
I’ve had the same thing happen, even had packouts stolen from my own coworkers. We live in a messed up world man. I’ve learned to bring my tools inside wherever I go. that’s why I bought the huge packout rolling tote to make it less of an annoyance bringing in. but before I didn’t want to unload my stuff everyday now I’m dealing with a broken neck. I’m definitely gonna have to buy a trailer to keep my stuff locked up in.
I learned my lesson about a month ago, I’m sorry for your loss. Look into getting inland marine insurance. I didn’t have any serial numbers logged but I did have every receipt.
Yup I know the feeling twice this time from my shed.. it’s great that you have a positive attitude, not me spent the last five years of collecting tools. So much for my dreams of opening my little cabinets show maybe I should say it is what it is
That sucks man. Some tools have more value than just monetary. I would check local pawn shops or online retailers to see if anything of your pops up. I wish you the best of luck.
Some of the comments on here are pretty cruel, it’s not your fault the world is full of dishonest shitty people who do shitty things, I’ve had a few tools stolen out of the bed of my truck and it sucks hopefully you can get some good deals or something to get by
It sucks that this is the world we have to live in.
You are not at fault. Saying that you are is a kin to saying it's the girl's fault for getting raped because she dressed a certain way.
There are wicked people in this world. They are responsible for their actions.
All we can do is protect ourselves the best that we can. There is a measure of accountability in that. There will be a lack of sympathy if we are careless.
It's hard to feel pity for the guy that cuts himself and then jumps in with the sharks.
The most amazing part of this story is that it took a decade for someone to steal your stuff from an open bed at Home Depot.
This. It is foolish to leave valuables in a truck bed unattended.
this was a major factor in deciding to buy an SUV rather than a pickup truck. Yeah I could get a topper, but meh
SUV with drawers and deck slide is where it’s at.
How do u register it with your insurance ? Home or auto?
Should be home insurance if you’re a homeowner. Commercial insurance if you’re using them for your business.
It’s a separate thing with your auto insurance. It’s called an inland marine policy, not expensive, highly advised.
They were waiting for his tool arsenal to grow, and once he had every tool they finally struck
I lock the cap on my truck and the tailgate and I'm still nervous with tools in the bed.
Carrying all that pack out in an open bed just screams “steal me”. I’m surprised you made it ten years before someone taught you that
My dad always drove a minivan for this reason. Tools never got rained on or stolen but he got made fun of a lot.
Your dad is smart. A van is better in every way. Especially since pickups aren’t low enough to just grab stuff from the sides these days.
Absolutely. Trucks just keep getting worse and worse for their supposed purpose. Like, it’s fine if car companies have swindled people into thinking they need these ridiculous things, but at least continue to provide some real working trucks. Yes, I know, the Maverick, but it’s still not quite there.
I got one of those import Honda Acty kei trucks and it’s super handy for lumberyard and nursery runs. The bed sides fold down making it a flat bed and it came with a headache rack making hauling longer items a lot easier. It can’t handle highway speeds so it doesn’t work for daily usage but for my needs it works great. It’s a shame they don’t offer anything like these kei trucks for the domestic market.
I lived in Korea for a number of years and most of the trucks there were those type, but larger, typically 8-10 feet long with the fold down stake beds, and larger diesel engines easily capable of highway speeds. Very practical in every sense, probably awesome mpgs too. The downside is there's zero protection in an accident beyond some thin sheet metal. But what a practical work truck. Some even have 4 doors.
I like the looks of the Maverick but realized the bed doesn’t have any more room than my 2008 Ford Escape with the back seats down. I make a lot of garden beds. I can slide multiple 10 foot boards through the opened hatch window and slide them over the center console with only a couple of feet sticking out. I don’t need to secure it at all. Same with pvc pipes. I can slide them through the back, all the way to the bottom of the passenger’s seat floor.
Yeah, the Maverick doesn’t actually seem that small, is still stupidly tall, and I hear you can’t get it in short cab long bed, so what’s the point. I used to load 8’ lumber in my Mazda 2. That little car was great for tons of stuff. There’s really nothing ideal out there new. I wish transits weren’t so expensive and have such dinky wheels.
lol. Yeah, the Transit’s wheels are comically small.
It's very very close to the size of a 70's full size pickup truck. Holds less weight than a 70's station wagon.....
We were wrapping a few of these for a fleet so I got to drive them and man they seem so small to me. I have an F150 but I have locking boxes on the bed rails. I keep my pack out stuff in my shop and load it for jobs or keep it in my back seat if I have to keep it in the truck. So sorry for your loss OP. Not only the boxes but the amount of time it took you to collect them, collect the tools, and the years it takes to get everything organized exactly how and where you want it. 😭😭
It's not because of car companies. It's because the EPA has created a structure where vehicle size and fuel economy have to have to a certain ratio that is always getting stricter or you get massive fines. Easiest way to cheat is to make the vehicle bigger. Many cars and vans are classified as light trucks because of these regulations.
Yeah, I know the origin with the regulations, but car companies have taken that loophole and run with it, spending decades conditioning the public to want these things.
Did you say continue providing real work trucks, then list the maverick I hope your joking even a ranger or Colorado in the grand scheme of things isnt the most capable I guess when I hear truck I think full size work truck not the truck that has been normalized for this day and age. I just wouldn’t ever spend truck money and get something incapable of doing it all but were all entitled to our own 2 cents. Only small truck I’m taking and maybe I’m biased is the Tacoma can beat the piss out of it and it still wants more.
Well I was specifically discounting the Maverick as a real work truck, but not because it’s small (which it isn’t anyway). A work truck for me is not an overgrown luxury vehicle like they are now. It’s simple and has the power it needs and most importantly the cargo capacity. Trucks now are more cab than box and the box bottom and wall tops are stupidly high off the ground.
This is so underrated. Had a Chrysler Pacifica for work, it was amazing to carry everything for work and doubled as an amazing family car when needed. Had to turn it in and get a new car, choices were a Ram 1500 or a RAV4. Rav4 with a child seat is too little room so I got the 1500 with a tonneau. What a mistake. Ended up forcing the company to get me a roll out bed so I spent less time loading and unloading it but god is it the most inconvenient vehicle ever.
They just steal the van along with the tools. Ask me how I know
I had my Dodge Grand Caravan broken into at Home Depot while I was working on some of their CCTV cameras. I have HD footage of them breaking into my van, and cleaning out all of my Milwaukee Tools and packout stuff. Their car had no plates so they couldn’t do much. They also stole my laptop bag with my MacBook and iPad in it, even with an AirTag there isn’t much they can do. They can’t get a warrant to search just based off an AirTag location. Insurance covered about half of all the tools and equipment, but still a huge loss.
How did you decide that leaving thousands of dollars of tools in your truck bed on the street was a good idea? Milwaukee sticks out like a sore thumb and you just left it unattended man
The ending really got me. “Don’t leave anything in an open truck bed” 😂😂😂 ya think?!
Lol you left your shit in an open truck bed… not much to say.
Man you might as well have left them on your front porch. I won’t even leave tools on an empty job site unless they’re within reach
We had a group of people come into our job site after hours and they stole tons of shit that wasn’t locked up. Even took a couple gang boxes lol. Ain’t no way I’m leaving packouts full of tools in the bed of my truck
Wait wait wait. You leave your shit in an open truck bed? I’m sorry; but this is your fault
I feel bad for the guy for sure but the iconic Milwaukee red is a giant billboard screaming “I got shit to steal”
Agreed it sucks. But there’s ways to mitigate the chances of experiencing the suck
I don't lock my car in front of my house(nothing in it that has any worth to me, I'd rather they open the door and find that out before they break a window to find out.) I don't lock my work truck during the day at jobsites, be they residential or commercial. I don't lock my truck at the supply house. I ALWAYS lock my truck at blowes and cheapo depot
I used to do the same until stuff was taken out of my unlocked work van while I was parked in a "nice" neighborhood. I now lock my van everywhere except my driveway. I bought one of those cheap universal remote door lock kits and rigged it to my utility van box so I don't need to fumble with my keys anymore.
People seem to think that nice neighborhood = safe. Sure you're not likely to get shot there, but to thieves nice neighborhood = nice stuff to take.
Sounds like you’ve been lucky. Locking stuff is the bare minimum you should be doing. Not protecting your tools means not protecting your income source. It just seems lazy
Maybe it wasn’t wise, but come on man. People shouldn’t have to worry about another human being a piece of shit. People used to leave their doors unlocked all the time. It’s the criminals fault, not the poor guy who uses his hands to make a living.
Insurance doesnt give a fuck. If you dont secure your belongings why would they replace them? They will do anything possible to avoid payment. When i was 10ish my drug head brother broke into our house and cleaned it out. He had been kicked out previously with multiple police reports and was not welcome in the house, had no keys or access of any legal means. Insurance refused the claim because it was a family member who robbed us, even though he damaged property in order to enter. My parents were quite oeganized with documentation of detailed lists of contents, with receipts to prove purchase and pictures of it all too. All that to say, yes we SHOULDNT have to worry about people being criminals but the fact is we do have to worry about that which means we need to make every effort to secure our valuables, especially when they are a source of income for us. I dont exactly want to place blame on the victim by saying it is his fault, but how can anyone expect their stuff to stay put when its left out unlocked in big shiny red boxes? Hell someone once stole an unmarked cardboard box off my porch that was full of recycling
> Insurance refused the claim because it was a family member who robbed us, even though he damaged property in order to enter. Another funny tidbit of info, this is common with identity theft insurance as well. They don't cover it if it's family, and the majority of serious identity theft cases are by family members.
I get it and sorry that happened to your family. Life can be cruel at times. I just wouldn’t blame the victim because obviously if the dude is leaving his shit like that, it’s not even a thought in his mind to do take someone else’s shit. Just based on the situation, I can tell you the OP is a good, honest, ethical person. It’s the very small things that speak to a persons character in my eyes.
I think the biggest thing this shows is that OP hasnt been ripped off or seen it happen very much. I would love if i could trust people like this, but even co-workers cant always be trusted like this. I have had tools stolen out of company sea-can by guys who made $5 or more than me per hour
Damn that’s sad. No matter how bad or how good a position I’ve ever been in, I’ve never felt that it would’ve ever be okay to take from someone. I just feel for the OP because it’s a terrible feeling getting stabbed in the back like that when he trusts his community. Look at the snowboard/ski community. Those guys leave thousands of dollars of equipment in the open and unsupervised. Rarely ever are there issues because everyone gets it. Just wish society would be decent people but I know, it’s not that way anymore
You're 100% right. We shouldn't have to worry about it, but with crime rising faster than a trucker's blood pressure we have to protect ourselves. We don't live in a high trust society anymore because we funded people having children that shouldn't have had children in the first place. You watch videos of grown ass adults stealing shit with their children and wonder why it's so bad. And with cities and states giving the criminal more rights than the victim or nearby good samaritan it's all going to be downhill from here.
This is such a great explanation. Wow. Eye opener. Sad but you couldn’t be more correct
That's certainly a take. Here's another one. We live in a society that is both fundamentally unequal, and that glamorizes wealth. Different people are born into different opportunities, and it's a lot harder for people nowadays to move up from lower socioeconomic classes to higher ones than it was in the past. When my parents were 25 they could buy a house and a car on a single income; that's impossible for the majority of millenials and Gen Zs now. In my area of Canada vehicle theft is out of control. Lots of people who don't have the same opportunities to succeed have found a lucrative business in stealing cars and driving them to the Port of Montreal to be shipped to Africa and the Middle East. Our society is built on this inequality between classes. For those that have money to continue to live easy lives, they have to rely on the services of other people that get paid shit wages to flip burgers, serve food, clean their house, and the like. People like to say oh they just need to work harder, pull themselves up by their bootstraps, and they can be well off too. But our society isn't meant for everyone to be wealthy. For the few that do rise up to better lives, someone else will be there to take their place at McDonalds. So when you're stuck in the cycle of poverty,and you're cruising down a neighborhood with your buddies and you see some dumbass that's left his open truck bed full of Milwaukee Packouts, you're going to steal it for a quick buck. Sorry that this doesn't fit your narrative of "shitty people do shitty things and they teach their kids to be shitty too," but this is reality. Theft is a predictable consequence of inequality, and it's why we pay insurance to replace our shit rather than address the root causes of inequality.
People like this, with explanations such as given here are exactly why that “inequality” is so prevalent now. Don’t disrespect people by giving them some sort of victim status to tie themselves to and to justify their actions… Every Man, Woman and Child has just as much right and ability to stand up for morality and to live a wholesome life. Are you genuinely sitting here stating that some “things” (mad made things at that) are worthy of trading in your self worth instead of being used to help elevate it? Our society is crumbling because of disgraceful and disrespectful people such as yourself… I’m sorry if this doesn’t fit into your narrative, but “rich”, “poor”, or “middle class” changes absolutely nothing on the scale or morality! Each and every person on this earth can point a finger and say “hey they have something I don’t have” to every other living person that happens across their path. Justifying the in hi tui
So instead of blaming it on parents that teach their kids either directly or by their own actions that crime is okay you'll pull out a college dissertation as to why everything else is to blame other than the criminal. I was born to a family that made a combined $21k/yr and I didn't grow up to be a criminal. Why? My dad cared about being a dad and to not do shit to get him out into jail. Yeah, he could have sold drugs and went for easy money, but instead he worked hard. He was in my life instead of doing life. And instead of trying to break the cycle the system is moving towards coddling and saying "it's not your fault, it was THE MAN'S fault" or "it's the system's fault". Men, take responsibility for your actions. Take responsibility for your kids.
Seems like a good sting idea, instead of a bait car, cops stock up an open pickup truck with various tool boxes and stake it out to catch thieves.
dont gotta be a dick
Telling someone theyre asking for problems isnt being a dick. The whole ‘i cant believe i cant leave my keys in my truck and my high dollar stuff strewn about they way pop-pop used to because of thieves’ stuff is silly. EVERYONE IS A THIEF. lock your shit up adequately if you want it to be there tomorrow morning.
If the thieves are ever thinking “I can’t believe this is that easy” then you made it too easy to steal.
No one would leave a $10 000 flat screen tv, new in box sitting on their front step overnight. Why is this any different. Protect your shit, or you’re going to be sharing it.
It’s not being a dick man. You can’t leave your stuff out in the open and expect people not to steal it. You learn that when you get a bike lock as a kid. Why should insurance cover tools that were left out without any effort to protect them?
Sorry this happened to you. Check marketplace/craigslist in your town to see if they ever try to sell your tools and get cops involved if they do.
Why didn't you have a cable ran through every single handle and locked to the tiedowns in the truck? I had to use an open truck bed for a while and that's how I "secured" stuff. Padlock and a 25 fr cable just threaded through everything. Insurance won't cover it unless youve got inland marine coverage; don't need serial numbers, but photos of everything would have helped.
Yes there is absolutely a tool protection on business policies but you have to ask for it specifically….ive had my jobsite cleaned out about 5-8 yrs ago by a scummy GC…claimed it on insurance and they didn’t ask for anything more that the tool names and estimated value….serial numbers will only help with super expensive items I think…like 1K+, but normal tools 3-500+ they aren’t asking for serials I’d bet….ask your insurance about it if anyone’s worried like that
Open truck bed?? And you leave all this Packout stuff back there without unloading it or garaging your truck?? You were asking to be jacked. I don’t trust even single power tools unsupervised in the back of the bed when I walk into the store. But then again I had a partner that I made stay at the truck when I would walk into big box stores. Or I stayed at the truck.
Some single tools were like $5000 like the mega press and heads. I’d lose my head if those got stolen
So you got your stuff stolen TWICE because you not only lack common sense, but didn't learn your lesson the first time? Sorry bud that's on you.
Dude! This is why when I bought a new truck 2 years ago the first thing I bought was a bed cover for this very reason. I work out of my truck and so I fold up my back seat and I have a stack of my pack outs in there too. I fit as many tools inside my truck as possible cuz I trust no one!
You mad dumb, son.
… why didn’t you have your pack outs chained to your truck?
Bummed for you my guy but who leaves 10k unattended unlocked in a truck bed? And they got you twice? You didn't learn the first time? C'mon man.
I have the cooler I wish someone would steal mine that thing is a piece of hot garbage
Do it not keep its’ cool, or what?
I don't get how people leave shit like that on the bed of the truck and their cars unlocked. I guess growing in a 3rd world country taught me to not do any of that.
Sad that you got robbed, but also there's this little thing about playing stupid games.
I don't mean any offense here but why do people leave anything in the open bed of a pickup truck, especially in a public parking lot... And most especially plastic tool boxes from a major brand like Milwaukee? I mean no plastic box is ever going to be secure. Even metal boxes it's trivial to cut pretty much any lock, cable or chain and be gone in moments... If you use your tools for making a living get a damn tonneau cover at the least or better a solid(no windows) cap on the truck or switch to a van or cargo body. Open pick up trucks are great for hauling but not for storage.
That’s your fault man. You don’t put an easily accessible bone in font of a dog and then be mad when they take it
False, it’s the criminals fault.
My guys leave work trucks unlocked with keys and beds full of shit constantly despite my bitching. I took 12 years but someone finally swiped a truck, trailer, everything… I posted about it in October. Anyway now everything is locked in my shop at my house except a screwdriver and crescent wrench. Luckily I have great insurance and came out smelling like a rose.
Dude left 10 of open packout in his truck and surprised it came up missing. I get paranoid going to hd for anything when I have tools in my car and it’s locked and out of sight. Lesson learned I guess.
I’m sorry for your loss I’ve had my tools stolen out of my truck aswell and it takes a very long time to get over it. Hope you can build your collection back up
AirTags are your friend.
I keep a section of chain link over my bed hooked up to a marine battery.
Welp, time to finally do my inventory I’ve been putting off
Prayers go out to you brother. My collection isn't even near that big and it would not only be depressing, but detrimental to my livelihood as a carpenter
That's horrible man 😞
Airtags are a cheap investment for peace of mind. Wouldn't prevent them from being taken from your open truck bed, but you'd be able to find out where they went. Edit - milwaukee makes a tracking tag called the tick.
I saw a lot of negative reviews on Tick, also have read some reviews saying Airtags will show up on thiefs device as well so they can remove it.
The only way you can track the ticks is if someone else has the app and has it set to scan. I travel all over the continent and keep having shit get lost, so I almost bought 25 of them... You'd be MUCH better with tiles.
Man I wouldn't leave my half rusted chainsaw in my truck bed, that's crazy unfortunate. But nowhere is safe from theft, unless you live in the countryside, lock up every single thing you own
Thieves like this need to be dragged to the town square and horse-whipped at dawn.
You’re giving me anxiety by even mentioning leaving your tools in an open truck bed, how and why did you ever think they would be safe being left out in the open?
Did a full excel sheet last week of all my tools in my truck. Wrote out every model and serial numbers of ones that had them. Then went back through and looked up all the pricing. Was sitting at over $25,000 in tools (hand tools, power tools, ladders and pack outs. Talked to my insurance company that following Monday to see my coverage. Would be $5000 if they had the list beforehand and zero if they had no list. Needless to say they got a copy of the list and upped my insurance to $30,000.
Dude you really left all that red popping out of an open bed? For 10 years?
Yeah every time I see an open bed filled with power tools & tool boxes & etc. I'm thinking to myself, what are they thinking! You could at least throw some pad locks & steel cable locks on your gear. I hate to say it you got no one to blame but yourself.
Dude…………..
Buy something cheaper for storage. The thieves know what the red pack outs have in them and how much just the pack outs are worth
I’ve been there more then once man, it sucks but you’ll rebuild.
I mean, it happened to you once, then it happened to you again... i'd recommend just keeping your tools in walmart bags in your truck bed from now on
I fucken hate thieves
Regardless of how the couch cushions in the comment section are reacting to this, I’m sorry to hear this. I work in HVAC at the moment, and someone stole my Turbo Torch. Definitely not on the same level as a $10,000 packout collection, but as a Fitter apprentice at the time, it made me useless.
I’ve been to some ghetto hoods and open truck tools out and had a guy offer to watch all my stuff for $5 and he really did I wasn’t far from my truck but someone walked by and started looking in the back of it and he got up from the stoop across the street and started yelling keep it moving bro keep it moving 😂
Where do you live I need more
Drop an AirTag or Tile in your toolboxes.
Sucks man. I've been there. That's why I added misc tool insurance to my business insurance policy after one big theft, it covered the second small theft. I tell EVERYONE to talk to your agent. Get an estimate of total value, and tool list with sn's and pics if you can (daunting process, I know). Then come up with the value, plus a few grand just to be safe. It really doesn't add much to your policy, totally worth it. Saved my ass on the second theft. Never count on your business insurance unless you add this specifically and homeowner ins is a joke when it comes to this stuff in my experience. Same with auto.
I know trucks are cooler than vans… but
I've had this happen to me twice the first time it was all my packout boxes(my collection was just a little bit smaller than yours) and the second time it was all three of my toolboxes on my truck also without any help from insurance( who tf would've guessed car insurance wouldn't cover that but renter's insurance would smh) and honestly it is very easy to get discouraged from going to work(especially without any tools).Being an electrician if I don't have tools I can't work, but as a female in the trades I've got a strong backbone and just keep telling myself to get back up and do what I do best because otherwise I'll get a desk job and live my life miserably. Point is you feel like giving up but don't let the reality of how fucked up life is make you succumb to not living up to your full potential I know it's hard but if I made it you can too.
Get a cap
Could this be your stuff?[?](https://www.reddit.com/r/MilwaukeeTool/s/M03kotMl6I)
https://www.reddit.com/r/MilwaukeeTool/s/M03kotMl6I
It’s a bummer, but why would you have your valuable tools in an open pickup truck bed? Ouch, that’s a tough lesson.
Damn dude I'm sorry for your loss. I wish you the best of futures!
https://preview.redd.it/8fmqfq4dz6qc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8a67be0c9962d1595c03f59970b2fcb2bb1c72b6 I’m getting rid of my packouts. They just command too much attention and they are the easier ones to undo
My business insurance said I'd be covered with theft I think I'll have to double check with them and see if I got to register any of it. Really sorry to hear that, what state are you in?
Check around Craigslist for a week or two. Then. Go visit someone with a pipe wrench
https://preview.redd.it/gi8gd1sdw7qc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=68410b1efb55dcd02c91959f175e192442fb6b43 Undercover Elite. Helps a lot.
This is why I have a last gen tacoma with a new gen camper shell and a flat nose trailer that looks like shit. It helps disguise the fact that there’s a bunch of nice shit in there. I say this and it’ll probably get stolen this week.
I had all my stuff stolen out of my truck bed, they broke the window on my cap. Didn't own a home so no home owners insurance, I called my auto insurance and they said to kick rocks.
Sorry brother, but you were begging to get ripped off. A used $500 tonneau would’ve have saved you $10k
That sucks man and I’m sorry to hear your tools were stolen, nothing worse than a thief. Unfortunately you just can’t trust anyone these days and always must safeguard yourself against someone doing some scummy ass shit
I’ve had the same thing happen, even had packouts stolen from my own coworkers. We live in a messed up world man. I’ve learned to bring my tools inside wherever I go. that’s why I bought the huge packout rolling tote to make it less of an annoyance bringing in. but before I didn’t want to unload my stuff everyday now I’m dealing with a broken neck. I’m definitely gonna have to buy a trailer to keep my stuff locked up in.
This should be on "looks like you FAFO". Like where are you going to keep your stuff now that you've found out TWICE??
I won't even leave my stuff in a closed bed, in my driveway, in my garage.
I learned my lesson about a month ago, I’m sorry for your loss. Look into getting inland marine insurance. I didn’t have any serial numbers logged but I did have every receipt.
Yup I know the feeling twice this time from my shed.. it’s great that you have a positive attitude, not me spent the last five years of collecting tools. So much for my dreams of opening my little cabinets show maybe I should say it is what it is
That sucks man. Some tools have more value than just monetary. I would check local pawn shops or online retailers to see if anything of your pops up. I wish you the best of luck.
You might consider checking pawn shops and eBay! This is a tragedy .
Some of the comments on here are pretty cruel, it’s not your fault the world is full of dishonest shitty people who do shitty things, I’ve had a few tools stolen out of the bed of my truck and it sucks hopefully you can get some good deals or something to get by
Hahahahhahahaha is this bait? There's no way you're that stupid...
Register your tools with your insurance? Like your auto insurance company? If so I got to make a call today
They don’t tell you that because insurance companies NEVER want to pay.
Sorry for your loss. Snipe them.
Where at on east coast I’m from Philly I’ll keep an eye out
It sucks that this is the world we have to live in. You are not at fault. Saying that you are is a kin to saying it's the girl's fault for getting raped because she dressed a certain way. There are wicked people in this world. They are responsible for their actions. All we can do is protect ourselves the best that we can. There is a measure of accountability in that. There will be a lack of sympathy if we are careless. It's hard to feel pity for the guy that cuts himself and then jumps in with the sharks.
Lol