For most tradies, their tools are their livelihood - specialised equipment can cost thousands of dollars to replace and without it, the result can be significant downtime.

Storing tools in a ute is common practice for tradies, therefore it is vital that vehicles are secure at all times. Unfortunately however, there are situations when this is not possible and opportunistic theft can occur.

And according to National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council boss Ray Carroll, there is a rising demand in the illegal exporting of ute car parts.

"The other downside is that when they get stolen they often take a whole bunch of tools; and then there is the down time for the tradie without a vehicle and tools," he commented.

With a large volume of car parts exported from Australia daily, Mr Carroll said it was almost impossible to determine legitimate parts from illegal ones.

To avoid the financial loss and hassle incurred as a result of car theft, tradies may want to consider hiring equipment as they need it, rather than run the risk of leaving valuables unattended in a vehicle.

Specialised equipment available from your local Kennards Hire will save you forking out thousands of dollars on tools you may only need for a specific job, and you don't have to worry about lugging expensive equipment around at the risk of theft.