3 things we learned about equipment theft from new report

That’s according to a new global survey, which found that missing tools and equipment are also dragging down productivity and delaying projects.

Asset tracking firm Samsara said it had surveyed more than 1,500 executives across construction, logistics, utilities, field services, and other asset-intensive sectors in the US, Canada, Mexico, the UK, Ireland, France and Germany.

The three major findings of the report were:

1) Equipment theft is a global problem

Among organisations that do not use an asset tracking solution, 71% reported experiencing equipment theft every quarter. The report also found that 77% of respondents globally said a missing critical asset had caused a significant shutdown or project delay in the past 12 months, with the figure reaching 80% in the US, 82% in Canada and 93% in Mexico.

2) Small equipment is responsible for much of the cost

While thefts of excavators, cranes and other heavy equipment often attract the most attention, the report suggests smaller assets are a bigger source of financial losses.

It found that 72% of the direct and indirect costs associated with missing assets stemmed from equipment worth less than US$10,000.

Those included generators, power tools, pumps and utility locators.

According to the report, delays, idle labour and emergency equipment rentals often outweigh the replacement cost of the items themselves.

Small equipment was the most commonly lost, misplaced or stolen equipment. That was followed by towable equipment such as air compressors, light towers, and wood chippers. Heavy equipment like excavators, track loaders, aerial lifts, tractors and cranes were the third most commonly stolen.

3) Missing assets are disrupting projects

The operational impact of missing equipment extends beyond replacement costs, the report found.

Among organisations without asset tracking technology, 98% said employees spend time searching for missing assets every day or week, while more than a quarter reported staff spending more than 10 hours a week doing so.

Respondents without tracking technology were also more likely to report seven-figure losses from project delays, emergency rentals and idle labour.

The survey was conducted for Samsara by independent research firm Wakefield Research between 5 and 17 February 2026. Most respondents worked for mid-sized organisations with annual revenue of between US$250 million and less than US$1 billion and were not necessarily Samsara customers.