How to Avoid Fuel Theft

Because fuel can account for up to 40% of your company’s operating expenses, your truck’s fuel is your company’s livelihood. Refined fuel is more attractive to thieves because it’s easier to resell and use, so use these tips to stop fuel theft from trucks.

Park your Truck Safely

Try to park your truck in well-lit and populated areas. Avoid parking in back alleys, and opt for secure parking lots and truck stops. Park your truck so that the fuel tank is blocked, which can discourage would-be thieves by making it harder to get to the fuel tank.

Check Fuel Pumps

Before you swipe your fuel card at a fuel pump, check the card reader for anything that looks suspicious. Thieves can install card skimming devices to steal your fuel card information, so check the pump before fueling.

Protect Your Truck Lot

Install fences, lighting, and security cameras in your truck parking lots. This can help keep your trucks safe from fuel theft when parked.

Use Physical Theft Prevention Options

Thieves can break into your tank and siphon off fuel or use other ways to steal your diesel for resale or personal use. Installing locking fuel caps, siphon screens, or other anti-theft devices is a great way to prevent fuel theft.

Use a Fuel Card

Using a fuel card, like the TCS Fuel Card, can help you keep your fuel purchases secure. You can set specific permissions for your drivers for when they use the fuel card like entering a PIN or USDOT number to verify the transaction. As a company owner, you can run reports to check current balances and set card limits to help keep fuel transactions safe, so you know the purchased fuel is going to your trucks.

Monitor Fleet MPG

To protect your fleet from driver fuel theft, compare truck MPG to fuel purchases and flag major discrepancies. For example, if engine shows truck MPG to be 7, but, based on fuel purchased for the month and miles traveled, MPG is 4, the driver may be using his fuel card to put fuel in someone else’s truck.

Been a Victim of Fuel Theft?

Keep an eye on your fuel level on your fuel gauge. If you just filled up and parked overnight, but see that you only have 3/4 tank of fuel the next morning, you might be the victim of fuel theft. If this happens to you, notify your company, and the management or owner of where you parked, and law enforcement.

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