NER Starts Free PIN Validation Service

October 31, 2006 • National Equipment Register (NER), New York, N.Y., has launched a new free, 24-hour service called PINcheck(sm), which allows law enforcement and insurance companies to instantly check the validity of the Product Identification Number (PIN), or serial number, of construction equipment.

 

Due to the wide variety of PIN formats on farm and construction equipment, many thefts are incorrectly entered into police and insurance company. As a result, a large number of stolen equipment is never recovered.

 

According to David Shillingford, president of NER, the organization has spent more than five years collecting information on serial numbers and developing an expertise on all types of equipment numbering formats.

 

Law enforcement officers and insurers can contact NER 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to check that a PIN they have is correct for any make, model, type, and year of equipment in question. The service is attempting to dramatically increase the accuracy of theft reporting and the efficiency and success of police investigations, which should increase the number of equipment recoveries and arrests.

 

PINcheck can also be integrated into electronic and online processes.