Construction sites are hard to secure. They change every week, they rarely have permanent power or internet in the early phases, and they’re full of tools, copper and equipment that are easy to resell. Fencing and signage help, but they don’t tell you what’s happening at 2 a.m. That’s the gap mobile surveillance trailers were built to close.
What is a mobile surveillance trailer?
A mobile surveillance trailer is a self-contained camera tower on a towable base. Ours carry a 26 ft mast with cameras and a strobe at the top, a solar array, a battery bank and a cellular connection. Because it makes and stores its own power and sends video over LTE, it can be dropped almost anywhere: a bare lot, a parking structure, the far corner of a laydown yard.
Why trailers work well on job sites
No power or network required
Permanent cameras need power and a network connection, which usually don’t exist until late in a project. A solar trailer is working the day it arrives.
They move with the project
As the job moves from site work to framing to finishes, what needs watching changes. A trailer can be repositioned in minutes to cover the new material staging area or the building entrance.
Visible deterrence
A tall mast with cameras and a strobe is hard to miss. Most thieves are looking for an easy target; a site that is obviously watched usually isn’t one.
Response, not just recording
Footage after the fact rarely gets equipment back. With monitoring, alerts are reviewed as they happen. When our security team verifies a real incident, we call the police and notify you right away, so the response starts while it’s still happening.
Where to place a trailer on a construction site
- Material and tool storage — conex boxes, copper and wire, and equipment parking are the most common targets.
- Site entrances — covering the gate records every vehicle that comes and goes.
- Blind spots from the street — back corners and areas behind the building are where trespassers feel safest.
- High, open ground — the 26 ft mast works best with a clear line of sight and good sun on the solar panels.
Trailers vs. guards vs. permanent cameras
Each has a place. On-site guards provide a human presence but are expensive over long projects and can only watch one area at a time. Permanent cameras are the right answer once the building is enclosed and powered. Trailers fill the gap in between: fast to deploy, independent of site power, and monitored remotely. Many projects use a trailer early, then transition to a permanent system before handover.
How rental pricing works
Rental rates depend mainly on the term. Short-term rentals cover events and urgent problems, monthly rentals follow a project phase by phase, and long-term rentals of six months or more get the lowest monthly rate. Delivery, setup, cellular data, maintenance and pickup are included in every Technologies NW rental.
Get a trailer on your site
Technologies NW rents solar surveillance trailers across Seattle, the Eastside, Tacoma, Everett and the Puget Sound. Check availability and get a quote, or call 425-492-5609.