Protecting Your Fuel From Thieves

For any commercial transport company, the threat of fuel theft is always going to be something that needs to be taken very seriously. Fuel theft is a very real problem, prolific even within the recent news headlines, and the inevitable rise in fuel prices means that this issue is increasing in severity. As such, taking steps to reduce the likelihood of fuel theft should be a matter of the utmost importance, and this usually involves recognising the threat posed by two distinct areas: Employee or Staff Pilfering This isn’t an area that many people like to think about, but if you’re taking the protection of your fuel seriously then you need to bear it in mind. Unscrupulous employees could, in theory, be a threat to your fuel; even if it is only a case of small-scale theft, such actions all add up. The best way to make sure that your business doesn’t suffer in this respect is to secure the access routes to your fuel storage tanks. Make sure that only authorised staff can reach your tanks by using some form of access control – automated or otherwise – and implement a system that keeps these individuals accountable. That way, if anything does go missing, you’ll know exactly who to speak to. Organised Crime and Theft Most serious instances of fuel theft are going to involve people from outside your company, and as a result the most obvious security measures should be taken in this area. Keeping your fuel tanks safe from outside interference involves utilising a mixture of strategies, including: Tank Positioning: Most organised fuel theft involves a tanker being used to pump fuel from the main storage tanks, and so the situation of your fuel tank can be used to prevent this tactic being utilised. If your fuel tanks are located in a secure-access area that excludes unauthorised vehicles, the scope for large-scale fuel theft is greatly reduced. On-site and Tank Security: As we’ve just mentioned, onsite security can be used to prevent vehicles being used to steal fuel, but it can similarly be implemented to combat smaller-scale theft too. Likewise, using the correct sort of fuel storage tanks will go a long way towards securing your fuel, as these sorts of containers have been specifically developed to be optimised for fuel storage.

For more information on Protecting Your Fuel From Thieves talk to Fueltek Ltd