How To Stop Fuel Theft From Trucks
Fuel theft is, unfortunately, a common crime throughout the country. Fuel theft often goes unpunished, so it falls to the victim to ensure that the crime is prevented.
As the cost of fuel rises across the UK, we’ve put together a blog post to give advice and tips for how to prevent fuel theft.
The Problems Caused by Fuel Theft
Commercial vehicles are often a prime target for thieves due to the sheer volume of their fuel tanks and a lack of protection against theft. There are many ways to steal fuel and doing so can lead to both financial loss and property damage for the company.
Siphoning fuel is a common practice amongst criminals, which would mean that they’ve actually broken the fuel lock open in order to get the fuel out of the tank. People also cut fuel lines, which can be difficult to spot and you may not even notice that it’s been done, leading to potential danger.
What Can I Do To Prevent Fuel Theft?
With the crime still being ever-prevalent, it’s time to take action yourself to prevent theft. There are many options available, and we’d advise implementing as many as possible to ensure that your fuel is as safe as can be.
Person-Based Solutions
Educating Your Workforce
Perhaps one of the first steps to reduce fuel theft is educating your workforce on the risks. Inform them on the effects that fuel theft has on a business. Teach them how to remain vigilant and protect themselves from becoming targets. Above all, ensure they know how to report the crime if the worst does happen. Unfortunately, driver theft is a common occurrence, and the consequence of this should be obvious to every employee.
Defensive Parking
If all your company trucks are parked in the same place overnight, strategically parking your vehicles can be a huge deterrent. Blocking access to fuel tanks can prove successful. Simply use your other vehicles or solid structures to block access to your fuel tanks.
Pros:
Can be arranged quickly and at a low cost
Easy to implement
Cons:
Open to human error
Not completely effective
Security Investment
Install CCTV and Security Lighting
Fuel thieves often operate under the cover of darkness in the hope that they won’t be identified. As such, parking in a well lit area can be a strong deterrent. Installing CCTV can help to identify thieves if the worst happens. It can also be a deterrent in itself as thieves will know there is a larger likelihood of being caught.
Fences With Locks and Alarms
If your company has a fuel tank, we advise building a robust fence complete with locks and alarms that are triggered upon unauthorised entry. This approach is particularly beneficial if you have an above-ground fuel tank that is obvious to thieves.
Pros:
Presents clear physical deterrents
Gives you evidence when reporting crimes
Cons:
Can be expensive to implement and maintain
Requires a lot of effort
May not be completely effective
Fuel Security & Anti-Siphon Devices
Here at TankSafe®, we have a multitude of fuel security & anti-siphon devices to aid with truck fuel theft prevention.
TankSafe Optimum
Our TankSafe® ‘Optimum’ fuel security and safety device has a unique design that involves a locking float valve at the bottom of the device which rises with the fuel levels in the tank. This prevents skimming and siphoning theft - as well as over-filling and spillage.
The obstruction in the device means that it can’t be penetrated by thieves, so they can’t access the fuel in your tank. The device is unique and proven to be far more effective than basic anti-siphons. It offers 3 unique benefits: it protects the environment, makes roads and workplaces safer, and - of course - prevents all fuel theft.
TankSafe Shield
Our TankSafe ‘Shield’ anti-siphon is the shortest, strongest and most secure anti-siphon on the market. It prevents large-scale siphoning due to the short chamber, which means that potential thieves can only access inches of fuel. The solid dome base also ensures that it cannot be compromised.
Whilst TankSafe ‘Shield’ is the best in its field of anti-siphons, it shares the same unavoidable flaws as other anti-siphons: it cannot prevent ‘skimming’ - the number 1 cause of fuel theft. Similarly, TankSafe ‘Shield’ can’t prevent users from overfilling their tank - an important health and safety and environmental issue.
TankSafe Reefersafe
Our ‘Reefersafe’ anti-siphon protects your truck with its anti-siphoning technology and helps to protect your cargo from temperature changes outside required parameters, giving you peace of mind if your vehicle has to be left unattended.
These are just a few of the products we offer to keep your vehicle safe, take a look at our entire product range to find the most suitable fuel security device for your business.
Pros:
Offers subtle theft prevention
Requires minimal effort: install once and you’re set!
Available at a great price point
Proven to be completely effective
Cons:
None!
TankSafe ‘Optimum’ is the only fuel security & safety device on the market that also prevents skimming and spillages, saving you money in all areas. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us for more information and advice.