Parts, Vans And Trust: Stopping Material Theft Without Turning Your Shop Into A Prison
The Premise
You can feel it before you can prove it. Parts are disappearing faster than the jobs explain. Gas cards are getting “creative” use.
Clamp down too hard and your best people bail. Ignore it and you bleed out slowly. This article walks through how to design controls that plug the holes without destroying morale.
Theft is not just bad apples, it is a system problem
In real Texas style shops, most “theft” is a messy mix of low clarity, low pay, and weak controls.
You cannot fix that with a single harsh memo. You fix it by changing the system so that honest people can stay honest without feeling stupid, and dishonest people are easy to spot.
What theft actually looks like
If you run HVAC, plumbing, or electrical, the patterns are very similar.
- Gas cards: Charges in weird areas, fill-ups on days off.
- Inventory: Over-ordering copper, using company parts on side jobs.
- Vans: Grocery runs, school drop-offs, "small moves" for friends.
- Side work: Weekend changeouts using your leftover materials.
The cost of over correcting
When your shop starts to feel like a prison, surveillance culture destroys morale.
Owners become jailers, not leaders. The only way to stay sane is to design controls that feel fair and transparent, not sneaky and personal.
A practical framework
Controls that protect the business and the relationship.
Define Red, Yellow, Green
Make it clear what is allowed (Green), what needs permission (Yellow), and what is never allowed (Red). Put it in writing.
Simple, Visible Controls
Use bin locations, odometer readings, and GPS patterns. Tell your crew exactly what you are doing and why. No "gotcha" moments.
Align Pay
You cannot culture your way out of a math problem. If techs feel underpaid, they will steal.
What it looks like when you get this right
Shops that get van, parts and trust right feel different.
You see techs correcting each other, fewer mystery losses, and less drama. You can protect the business without killing the culture.
Stop playing detective
Book a working session and we will sketch the first version of a parts, vans and trust system that fits your shop.