Who Moved My Keys?

By Tom Fife

You probably would not be surprised to learn there are always participants in my seminars who raise their hands to confirm that theft is happening at alarming rates in the lumber industry. The stories are as wide and varied as you could imagine. I would like to share one with you.

Kenny raised his hand. His company had lost an entire truckload of OSB the day before. Everyone at the seminar began to quiz him on precisely what he meant. “Do you mean that someone came in your yard and stole a truckload of OSB,” they asked. “No, I mean the entire truckload—including one of our semi trucks and the fully loaded trailer!”

Kenny explained that the thieves had scaled the fence at his location. They checked to find that the keys had been left in the forklifts as well as in the semi, which was already hooked up to the empty trailer. You got it! They proceeded to use the company’s forklifts to load the company’s trailer with as many units of OSB as they could fit on the trailer bed. To add insult to injury, the thieves mowed down the gate on their way out of the yard and took a company pick-up truck to boot. OK, one semi tractor, one semi trailer, one pick-up truck and a full load of OSB—plus the rammed-down front gate. You figure the cost to the company of keys being left in ignitions.

A show of hands revealed clearly that most attendees knew it could have been them just as easily. Even if they did have a procedure for placing the keys out of harm’s way, it wasn’t really being followed or monitored. Truth be known, this is not as wild a story as we think when we first hear it. Could the same thing happen to you? Use this key checklist to help cover all your “key” bases.

Do you:

• Remove the keys from the forklifts and all trucks at the end of the work day?

• Have a place where all truck and forklift keys are placed to quickly see if one is missing? (a board with hooks is a simple solution)

• Have spare keys to the lifts and trucks in a secure, designated place? (remember the sales trucks)

• Change gate keys when you lose one and keep an up-to-date list of who has them?

• Change gate keys when you lose someone who does not return his when he leaves the company?

• Have a list of who has keys to your buildings?

• Have a complete set of keys to your company gate and buildings that the fire department can get to in case of emergency after store hours (in a lock box or issued to the fire department)?

• Have a lock on your fuel tank and an updated list of who has keys to it? (keep it locked when not in use)

• Have a list of vendors’ personnel who have any keys to your company?

• Have a policy and procedure for handling keys to all company-owned vehicles, equipment and buildings?

• Train to the procedure and policy and assign a person to ensure compliance?

• Inventory your keys and lists periodically—at least once a year?

The proper tracking and handling of keys may seem like a no-brainer for many of you. However, I recommend that you check to ensure that your policies and procedures are being implemented consistently and regularly. Make it a habit to obtain an updated copy of your company’s key lists to include changes that have been made and reasons for them. Your keys have only the priority that you place on them: If you show you care about them, so will the people who use them.

Stories of theft will always be with us, but none of us wants to be wondering after an incident of loss, “Who moved my keys?”