How thieves are stealing trailers, exploiting a loophole, and reselling them as homemade
15,405 trailers were registered as 'homemade' in 2023, CBC News has learned
The owner of a trailer dealership in Strathroy, Ont., says a recent spike in the number of trailers in Ontario registered as "homemade" is suspicious given the rise in trailer thefts and the fact that homemade trailers can be registered without a vehicle identification number (VIN).
"If it says 'homemade' on the ownership, that's a clear identifier that the trailer is likely stolen," said Shane Thompson, who started his business Action Trailers as a 16-year-old back in 2004.
Like vehicles, trailers have to be registered with the province and issued licence plates for display. New trailers require a bill of sale from a dealer with a certificate of origin, which includes a VIN. The person registering the trailer also has to produce identification.
Trailers only have to be registered once. After that, they can be re-sold using the original registration.
Trailers designated as "homemade," which the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) website describes as "one you built yourself" must also be registered. However, homemade trailers don't have VINs. The person registering the trailer just has to sign a form saying the trailer is homemade. After that, it can be sold just like any other trailer, and that's where Thompson said there's a problem.
Thompson believes stolen trailers that were actually built by a manufacturer are being fraudulently registered as "homemade" after being stolen so they can appear as legitimate for resale.
"You can just license a homemade trailer without any proof, photos or receipts," said Thompson. "There's not even a physical inspection."
MTO statistics acquired by CBC News show the number of trailers registered as homemade has spiked sharply in recent years (see table below).
About 100,000 trailers a year were registered in the province from 2012 to about 2018, with about one to two per cent of those registered as homemade. However, the number of trailers registered as homemade began to creep up in 2019, with about 15 per cent – a total of 15,405 – homemade trailers registered last year.
Over the past four years, there's been an average of 650 trailer thefts reported to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) with a spike of 729 in 2022. However, those numbers don't include thefts reported to municipal police forces. In 2019, the OPP investigated a ring of criminals stealing trailers, altering their VIN numbers and selling them using fraudulent documents.
"This is a crime with the opportunity for very big returns," said OPP Const. Jeff Hare.
Numbers are 'hard to believe'
Thompson said there's no way over 15,000 trailers registered as homemade in 2023 are actually homemade trailers. He said while some people may have the skill and motivation to build their own trailer — perhaps for a custom use — he said this would be a tiny percentage of the trailers on the road.
With the cost of materials, it's actually more expensive to build your own trailer than to buy one from a dealer or manufacturer, he added. He sees the homemade category as a "loophole" thieves are exploiting.
"Seeing up to 15,000 trailers last year registered as homemade? I was shocked by that number," he said. "It's hard to believe that those numbers are true. I'd say 95 per cent of those are stolen."
Not only does Thompson believe the homemade category is being misused to conceal theft, he said people are unknowingly buying stolen manufactured trailers registered this way. He's had people come to his dealership trying to trade in trailers that are clearly manufactured, but registered with the province as homemade. Thompson said trailer owners are surprised to learn he won't sell them because they were likely stolen.
The MTO also didn't respond to requests from CBC News for comment on this story.
Trailer thefts hurting small businesses
About 70 per cent of the trailers Thompson sells are bought by small business owners, everything from contractors to food business operators.
Nicholas Waldram, owner of Eavesafe Gutter Protection, had two trailers stolen in the space of two months last fall. It was a big blow to his business. He lost the trailers, each worth $10,000, and thousands in tools on board.
He said London police officers told him his trailers were likely registered as homemade, then re-sold. London Police could not confirm this but Waldram said the numbers alone suggest the government should look into how many trailers registered as homemade, are actually manufactured trailers.
"I don't think you should be able to register a home-built trailer," said Waldram. "I can't go and register a home-built car."
Tips from police
The OPP recommends anyone buying a trailer online to ensure the VIN isn't damaged or removed.
Police also recommend buyers confirm the identity of the seller using a piece of photo identification and confirm the name of the seller matches the name on the ownership of the trailer.
"If the seller becomes difficult or pushy ... call police or walk away from the deal," said Const. Hare.
Also, while many owners equip their trailers with tracking devices, police say owners shouldn't try to recover a stolen trailer themselves, but instead call police.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
