Equipment Theft Costs Push Firms Toward Asset Tracking
IoT News, Thursday, April 30th, 2026
Equipment theft costs large organizations an average of $13.2 million annually, driving adoption of asset tracking solutions.
According to Samsara's 2026 State of Connected Operations Asset Theft & Loss Report, large organizations without asset tracking systems lose an average of US$13.2 million each year from missing equipment, including direct and indirect costs such as project delays, emergency rentals, and wasted labor.
The survey of over 1,500 financial executives found that 71% of organizations without tracking systems experience equipment theft every quarter, with smaller equipment items like generators and power tools accounting for 72% of operational costs.
Organizations without real-time asset visibility spend significant time searching for equipment-some spending over 10 hours per week-and take an average of 25 days to locate missing assets.
However, companies implementing asset tracking solutions reported a 76% reduction in average annual operational costs from missing equipment, with 95% of organizations recovering their tracking system investment within 18 months and 31% achieving reduced insurance premiums.