Frequently Asked Questions
Fuel’s not safe until it’s TankSafe®
How do thieves steal fuel?
There are 2 ways that fuel theft occurs.
The first is visible and known as 3rd Party Theft.
It’s when large amounts of fuel are siphoned.
Often it’s conducted by organised gangs.
It can occur anywhere a truck is parked: at lay-bys, truck stops, depots. All that is required is a siphoning tube and a container to put the stolen fuel in.
Organised gangs may have generators and large drums to enable them to siphon even more fuel quicker.
However, this type of fuel theft only accounts for 1% of all fuel theft. 99% of fuel theft is attributed to ‘skimming’…
What’s Skimming?
‘Skimming’ is invisible theft yet it
accounts for 99% of all fuel theft that occurs.
It’s when small amounts of fuel are stolen on a regular basis from the top of the tank. It can simply be done with a siphoning tube and a container.
It’s commonly conducted by drivers who see it as a perk of the job. For a more detailed explanation, please visit our
‘Skimming’ page.
I’ve got Anti-siphons and Telematics -
I’m protected aren’t I?
What’s the difference?
Anti-Siphons may help restrict large scale 3rd party theft, however, they cannot prevent ‘skimming’.
This is because all anti-siphons have an inherent weakness, whereby their chambers sit in the fuel tank
meaning fuel can be ‘skimmed’ to their base. This can leave up to 50 litres of fuel exposed to ‘skimming’
on a brimmed tank.
Telematics or fuel monitoring devices may alert you to when large scale 3rd party theft has occurred, however, by the time you are alerted, the thieves and your fuel will be long gone. But remember, 3rd party theft is only 1% of the issue.
Telematics and fuel monitoring systems won’t stop ‘skimming’ because all systems have built-in tolerances
to allow for natural variances. Therefore, ‘skimmers’ will simply siphon quantities of fuel which will not trigger the system, meaning the ‘skimming’ can occur undetected.
What signs of fuel theft should I look out for?
There are a number of tell-tale signs that ‘skimming’ is occurring, including: higher than expected fuel spend, large variances in MPG figures either across the fleet or at certain depots, and signs of diesel spillage
around the tank.
For a comprehensive checklist of the signs of fuel theft to look out for,
please download our checklist here
Will TankSafe® products save me money?
Payback can be achieved in as little as 3-6 weeks
with the TankSafe® ‘Optimum’.
I think I might be experiencing fuel theft / loss - what should I do?
There are many things you can do, including analysing fuel figures across the fleet to see if there are any significant variations.
A checklist of signs to look out for is available here
Or get in touch with us here and we’ll talk it through with you:
Do TankSafe® products affect filling speed?
All TankSafe® devices fill in excess of OEM factory filling standards with no adverse effect on filling speeds. The TankSafe® ‘Optimum’ fills above 140 litres per minute (fastest commercial pump)
and the TankSafe ‘Shield’ fills in excess of 130 litres per minute.
How are TankSafe® products fitted?
TankSafe® devices are simple and quick to fit in less than 5 minutes. TankSafe will fit over the existing tank filler neck and accept the original OEM supplied filler cap. Each TankSafe® device is supplied with specialist adhesive and grub screws ensuring a robust and secure fitment.
If the tank filler neck is protected by TankSafe®, can a thief not just spike the tank?
99% of fuel theft can be attributed to the practice of skimming. This is the terminology for siphoning off the top 25-50 litres of fuel from the tank on a regular basis. This practice makes it extremely difficult to identify theft using fuel monitoring resources.
Often this theft is conducted internally; therefore these thieves are highly unlikely to damage the fuel tank. Additionally, if a 3rd party thief sees a truck protected by TankSafe®, they are more liable to attack a truck that has no device fitted.
Do TankSafe® products prevent diesel spills?
Our TankSafe ‘Optimum’ system DOES prevent spillage – an important Health and Safety and Environmental benefit due to it’s unique patented float-valve.
No anti-siphons have this feature.
What guarantees do you provide?
All TankSafe® devices come with a 3 year guarantee and are accredited with the Manufacturing Quality standard BS EN ISO 9001:2000.
They are manufactured from aluminium and as such cannot corrode, and should outlast the life of the vehicle.
Should you perceive the TankSafe® devices to be performing unsatisfactorily within the first 12 months of your purchase, and a subsequent TankSafe® investigation reveals that this is due to a manufacturing fault, then we will happily offer you a complete refund and will collect the systems from you.
Who do you currently work with?
How do I contact you?
You can contact us via the following methods – live chat, email us at info@tanksafe.uk or alternatively call us on +44 (0) 1253 400 401
