Diesel Fuel Theft

Diesel fuel theft is an issue that affects all fleet managers. As diesel fuel prices rise fuel theft rises as well and this problem seems to be happening around the world. From drivers using skimming methods to third-party thieves siphoning fuel from parked trucks there are various ways fleet fuel theft can occur. Thankfully there are ways to catch some of this fuel theft.

Skimming is the practice of stealing diesel fuel from the top of the tank when it is full. Usually after drivers fill up their tank at a stop they will siphon off a small amount of fuel from the top of their tanks for their own personal use or to sell at a discount to other drivers. This can be extremely hard to detect especially if the drivers are only skimming small amounts of the fleet fuel. Even though only small amounts may be stolen each time it can add up over time and cost a company money especially if there are multiple drivers skimming. Also, more consumers are purchasing diesel fuel vehicles for personal use since they are more efficient then gasoline vehicles and are low in carbon dioxide emissions so this method of theft will only become more popular.

With these factors in mind the practice of skimming should be a concern for fleet managers. To combat this issue fleet managers can have anti-siphon devices installed in all of their trucks in their fleet. These devices are installed to the gas tanks and prevent the ability to siphon fuel out of the tanks of their trucks.

Third-party theft is another way diesel fuel can be stolen. This type of theft happens when thieves siphon diesel fuel from parked trucks at truck stops or company lots or repair site lots when they are unattended. In February $5,000 worth of fuel was stolen from six trucks that were parked at a semi-truck repair shop in Kansas. Obviously this should be another concern for fleet managers especially if trucks in their fleet are left unattended for periods of time.

To combat this problem fleet managers can have locking fuel caps along with anti-siphon devices (mentioned above) installed to all of their trucks in their fleet. Once installed, these locking caps are can only be opened with a key that is issued to the driver so thieves cannot gain access to the diesel fuel in the tank. If your fleet is parked at a company lot and left unattended for periods of time you may want to consider putting up fences or implementing a surveillance system to deter thieves and make it more difficult for them to gain access to your fleet.

In summary, diesel fuel theft is an issue that is not going away anytime soon and fleet managers need to be proactive if they want to prevent it. For more help on your fleet management call 267-482-6155 or click here.