Skimming - the invisible enemy
Fuel’s not safe until it’s TankSafe®
Skimming accounts for 99% of all fuel theft
It’s when small amounts of fuel are stolen on a regular basis from the top of the tank.
One of the key reasons why it accounts for so many cases of fuel theft in the UK is because without a fuel anti-siphon, it’s very hard to detect. It can simply be done with a siphoning tube and a container, and is commonly conducted by drivers who see it as a perk of the job.
A dishonest driver overfills or “brims” the fuel tank, and siphons off small amounts of fuel from the top of the tank. Little and often.
1
Brim the tank
2
Skim off the diesel
3
Free fill-up
3rd party theft, where large amounts of fuel are siphoned, often by organised gangs, only accounts for 1% of all fuel theft. This kind of fuel theft (when it does occur) can also sometimes be seasonal, with cases marginally more likely in winter, with shorter days and longer nights.
Fuel skimming, however, is a risk all year round. It remains the no.1 fuel crime in our transport industry, and costs fleets thousands every year. The majority of these cases specifically involve diesel theft - since it’s more expensive than petrol, the costs to operators can often be particularly severe.
In a survey conducted by SHELL, two out of five fleet drivers have witnessed another driver commit some kind of fraud such as siphoning fuel from a company vehicle.
Skimming theft is invisible to you
Because the amounts of fuel stolen each time are small, and the theft is regular, it’s exceptionally difficult to notice it in your telematics or fuel monitoring systems. The amounts will be lost in typical everyday variances such as driving conditions, driving method, load weight, etc.
This means many operators don’t realise they’re making substantial losses to diesel theft until months or even years after the problem has begun.
But I’ve got anti-siphons fitted, I’m protected aren’t I?
Unfortunately not. Typical anti-siphon devices only provide partial protection for your tank, and they’re easy to bypass because of a common design flaw; anti-siphons do not protect the fuel at the top of the tank, which is where skimming takes place.
Why anti-siphons cannot stop skimming
(25 seconds)
The only way to stop skimming is to prevent the tank being brimmed
We make the only antisiphon in the world that does just that…
TankSafe® Optimum
The only fuel security device that offers 3-in-1 protection – stopping fuel spills, overfilling, and all fuel theft.
100% protection against fuel siphoning and ‘skimming’
Proven to reduce fuel bills by 15%
Typical return on investment of 3-6 weeks
The secret's in the valve...
Stop trucks overfilling
TankSafe® ‘Optimum’ has been specifically designed to counteract the common design flaw with other basic antisiphon devices, with a unique patented design that incorporates a locking float valve at the bottom of the device, which rises with the pressure of the fuel in the tank during filling.
When the tank is approximately 98% capacity, the valve locks off, preventing the tank being over-filled or “brimmed”. This isolates the fuel in the tank, therefore preventing any skimming, siphoning or spillage.
TankSafe® Optimum in action
Make Roads
Safer
One small diesel spill poses a huge danger to other road users, particularly cyclists and motorcyclists who are at high risk of sustaining serious injury.
Spills are frequently found at roundabouts, where traffic flows quickly - this often means that the driver who caused the spill has long since gone. But the danger remains.
Workplace Health & Safety
Safety is a top priority for fleet managers, yet diesel spills in the forecourt, in the cab, and in the workplace are putting your employees in danger every day.
Slips and trips at work represent 33% of all reported major injuries, costing employers over £500 million a year and costing society £800 million.
Protect the Environment
The process of cleaning diesel spills often leads to diesel being washed into drainage systems. This can result in diesel entering the watercourse and harming local ecosystems.
Every litre of spilled diesel is an extra litre needed to power your truck. Meaning your diesel spend is higher; increasing your fleet’s carbon footprint.
Prevent all
Fuel Loss
Spilling, skimming, siphoning and overfilling reduces fuel efficiency and could be costing your business every single trip.
TankSafe® 'Optimum' is the only fuel security solution to eliminate siphoning, skimming, spills and over-filling.
It was really important for us to find a solution for our customers. We wanted a trustworthy and reliable source. We wanted a premium product. TankSafe provided all of our requirements to offer this solution to our customers.
TankSafe devices offer significant value to our customers’ needs.”
“Fuel is our biggest expense per annum.
Since having TankSafe Optimum fitted there has been a significant saving in fuel almost immediately. Payback was just over three weeks.”
Trusted by thousands of fleets globally and many of the world's leading OEMs
TankSafe ‘Optimum’
Fuel’s not safe until it’s TankSafe