I was thinking of doing the hiab, but I just wanted to ask, is there a need to have the engine running, then being away from the cab, I’ve seen skip drivers operating the skip with the cab open, what’s to stop someone jumping in and driving it off…
Two keys? One in the ignition, one in your pocket after locking the door.
Someone might do a driveaway with a container load of whisky, but making off with a fully loaded skip of rubbish, or load of blocks, isn’t too likely.
I don’t leave door hanging open though. Why would anyone?
Sent from my SM-G361F using Tapatalk
Yes it is a potential problem, I take the fob off my keys and lock and alarm the cab whilst leaving the cab out of constant view.
My truck is a plant vehicle with PTO powered beavertail ramps so most of my work involves the engine running. I could (and sometimes do) shut the engine off when loading unloading but it’s usually quite a quick process so not worth the bother.
Never ever heard or seen anyone jumping in a lorrys when the drivers operating his hiab or ramps etc.
Youd need to be a really dumb thief to be trying to hijack a lorry not exactly the speediest getaway vehicle. Most thieves do their stuff when drivers sleeping in cab or trailers plant etc is left unattented.
I think your thinking way too far out the box.
The recovery trucks at the AA had a button on the dash you pressed. This allowed you to take the keys out of the ignition, but keep the engine running at the same time for the PTO. You could then lock your doors to prevent anyone jumping in. But if someone did try to steal the truck, as soon as the park brake was released, the engine would cut out anyway.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sploom:
I was thinking of doing the hiab, but I just wanted to ask, is there a need to have the engine running, then being away from the cab, I’ve seen skip drivers operating the skip with the cab open, what’s to stop someone jumping in and driving it off…
You need the engine running to drive the pto (pto = power take off) and this is what drives the hydraulic pump.
Theres various types of pto but the main type are gearbox mounted.
I would be careful what you leave on show. Whilst I doubt anyone would take the truck you sat nav, phone etc would be quick and easy
Most…
Brick/block builders merchants grabs will have extendable legs for stabilisation. I doubt they’d get far with those out.
Thanks for all the replies, I mean, what I’m getting at really, I just don’t like leaving all my stuff in the cab unlocked. I was talking to a driver at Peterbrough services last week and when we finished talking, he just wandered into the shop, no thoughts about locking the cab, I just wouldn’t do that.
A lot of modern keys are chipped but you can get unchipped keys just to lock the door, we had them in tankers, mainly to stop someone trying to move it while the hose was connected.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Our HIAB trucks can all be locked manually with the engine running. We’ve got second non chipped keys to do so.
The Hiab I used to use was on a remote and the nature of the job meant I was never more than a few yards from the cab; you’re constantly moving around to check for potential hazards (ie numpty members of the general public who don’t think it is a problem to walk under a large and heavy suspended object 
) So I for one never worried about someone jumping into the cab, plus as has been said you’d have your stabilizer legs on the ground and it’d be very hard to do a quick getaway under those circumstances - plus how far down the road would a thief get with an extended crane? Not very far at all… 
Sploom:
I was thinking of doing the hiab, but I just wanted to ask, is there a need to have the engine running,■■■■ so there was no need for me to keep feeding that hamster in the wheeeeeel
Franglais:
Someone might do a driveaway with a container load of whisky, but making off with a fully loaded skip of rubbish, or load of blocks, isn’t too likely.
I don’t leave door hanging open though. Why would anyone?Sent from my SM-G361F using Tapatalk
What if your lorry would be used to drive in some crowd of people?
Sent from my HUAWEI LYO-L01 using Tapatalk
milesahead:
Franglais:
Someone might do a driveaway with a container load of whisky, but making off with a fully loaded skip of rubbish, or load of blocks, isn’t too likely.
I don’t leave door hanging open though. Why would anyone?Sent from my SM-G361F using Tapatalk
What if your lorry would be used to drive in some crowd of people?
Sent from my HUAWEI LYO-L01 using Tapatalk
There are 6million trucks in Europe.
How many were used for that purpose in the last year? None?
2017? None?
2016? Two or three?. But none of these were taken away whilst the engine was running, leaving the driver around to make a phone call.
I said “unlikely”. Maybe “extremely unlikely” would be better.
Sent from my SM-G361F using Tapatalk
Imagine if someone were to video the vehicle left running while the driver was doing something else outside the vehicle 
Seriously though, if you have to leave the PTO running when out in areas the public have access to, then it makes sense to have a second key cut so the doors can be locked, if vehicle theft is an issue the the company should have the vehicle wired so the engine can be run whilst the keys are removed and the steering lock engaged, as Police/Paramedic cars are, or (much cheaper) provide a secondary removable steering wheel lock, anything to make it more difficult for the opportunist thief.
that was a good question to ask, many know the answer but more do not, the only stupid question is the one not asked,
drove a truck with a lock on the handbrake when we left it running to work the hydraulics,if you tried to let the brake off without the key an airhorn went off (didn’t release the brake).ohh what fun that was in the depot turn the key at night an first thing in the morning when “moving off” the siren would blare ■■■■!
Sploom:
I was thinking of doing the hiab, but I just wanted to ask, is there a need to have the engine running, then being away from the cab, I’ve seen skip drivers operating the skip with the cab open, what’s to stop someone jumping in and driving it off…
As has been previously said, with the legs out and down any potential thief ain’t getting far.
My old gaffer had another trick up his sleeve when it came to hiab thefts. There was something in place linked to the tracking system which when the truck was stolen he could track it, wait until it was in use with the legs down and then input a number on his phone that would kill the engine rendering it immobile. You wouldn’t even be able to tow it away or drag it onto a trailer.
It wasn’t perfect however. At least once he put his phone in his pocket unlocked and activated the kill switch. Cost a fair bit in call outs . All he had to do was input the activation number on his phone 