Why is fuel skimming such a huge problem? 4 key reasons
If you’re a fleet operator, then the concern over fuel theft is always going to be a key consideration in the overall running of your fleet, no matter what your sector or specialism. And while it’s easy to worry about organised criminal gangs ambushing your drivers in secluded spaces, the biggest fuel theft threat for most companies is actually a lot more mundane - it’s most often conducted by the drivers themselves.
With more than 40 years behind us here at TankSafe, we’ve developed a variety of solutions to help our customers tackle this problem. One of our most sophisticated offerings is TankSafe Optimum, which guarantees to protect your fleet against 100% of fuel theft. But as you’ve probably already realised, the fact that most fuel theft is committed by internal employees means that any conversations about it often have to be broached very carefully. To make that tricky task hopefully a bit easier for you, let’s take a quick look at some of the key reasons why fuel skimming remains such a huge problem.
Fuel prices are still rising
By now, you’ve had plenty of first-hand experience with skyrocketing fuel prices, so you won’t need us to give you a sprawling breakdown of the world economy, and all the various factors involved. The short version, as you know, is that fuel prices are rising across the board - especially with diesel, as a full tank now costs 40% more than it did a year ago.
As we’ve covered in a previous post, the additional expense for countless households means that it can be more tempting than ever for some drivers to try and blunt the impact by skimming fuel from their employers, especially if they’re struggling to make ends meet. And with no end in sight just yet for these continuing price hikes, it’s likely that fuel skimming will remain an especially pervasive threat for companies for quite some time to come.
It’s deceptively easy to do
Without the right antisiphon fitted, siphoning fuel can be done in a matter of moments, especially if the perpetrator knows how to bypass the flaws in some of the most basic antisiphons - or even if there’s not one fitted at all! Another part of the problem is that it doesn’t take an awful lot of planning and it doesn’t even have to be done in darkness; all a perpetrator needs is the right equipment, and a few moments unsupervised with the tank. That can ultimately minimise the fear of being caught and suffering consequences, and makes it all the more tempting for some drivers to act impulsively.
It’s hard to detect
There’s a good reason that skimming is estimated to account for 99% of all fuel theft - if the act is not actually witnessed by an observer, the individual discrepancies are so minor that it can be difficult to spot them in the business accounts. Most of the time, the cost of the excess fuel is easily swallowed up in all the standard variables surrounding routine journeys, including mileage and driving conditions. That means it’s easy for perpetrators to get away with skimming small amounts for a long time, eventually saving themselves substantial amounts of money - while exacting a heavy cost on your business.
With that in mind, it’s obviously easy to see why fuel skimmers can be demonised by so many companies. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that many of the people who indulge themselves in fuel skimming aren’t necessarily out to hurt their employers. Indeed, many would otherwise count themselves as very honest and hardworking employees. But they find the act easy to justify to themselves, because…
It’s often seen as a victimless crime
Let’s be honest - fuel skimming isn’t like burglary, or assault, or any other multitude of crimes that the vast majority of us would rightly recoil at. With serious crimes like those, the harm is tangible, and the victims obvious. With fuel skimming on the other hand, there’s a tangible benefit to the perpetrator, but no immediately palpable harm in turn. And since the target is a business entity rather than a living person with thoughts and feelings, it’s a lot easier to avoid the feelings of guilt that would normally come from fraudulent acts.
It’s a big part of the reason why so many fuel skimmers are people who wouldn’t otherwise consider themselves lawbreakers. The majority know it’s wrong, but they’re more likely to regard it along the lines of being ‘a bit cheeky’ rather than seriously harmful, and may not think it has a serious impact on the bottom line of the business.
The thing is, it does. Depending on the size of your business, frequent and long-term fuel theft like skimming could end up costing you thousands or even millions of pounds. Now, in some cases, you may find that a simple discussion with your staff can resolve the issue, as it’s sometimes just a case of making them aware that it is an action that can (and does) do real damage.
However, if the problem persists, or it’s already something you’ve been dealing with for a while, that’s exactly where we can help here at TankSafe.
Our TankSafe Optimum is an antisiphon device which we’ve specifically designed to provide 100% protection, so you can have peace of mind against fuel spills, overfilling, and skimming. You can find out more on its dedicated page on our website, or find out answers to some of the most common questions over on our FAQs page. If you’ve still got queries, our experts will be happy to resolve them - fee free to give us a quick call on 01253 400 401, and we’ll be happy to help however we can!