Could You Be At High Risk From Fuel Theft?

Fuel theft can come in different forms, so it is important to protect your business from all angles. One way the crime can manifest is from individual vehicle fuel tanks, either by employees or from vehicles parked up at remote locations.

Wolverhampton-based building suppliers, Carvers, have been using Merridale’s fuel management systems for over 15 years and have first-hand experience of this.

We once had an unfortunate scenario where one of our drivers stole fuel from us by taking the truck home and syphoning some out. We were able to spot this and catch him when we noticed an unusual change in his MPG on Merridale’s software. Without that, who knows how long that could have gone on for.

Operations director, Bryan Purslow, said “We once had an unfortunate scenario where one of our drivers stole fuel from us by taking the truck home and syphoning some out. We were able to spot this and catch him when we noticed an unusual change in his MPG on Merridale’s software. Without that, who knows how long that could have gone on for.”

However, the risk of theft isn’t only posed to your fleet though, with large thefts being made more often directly from depot bulk-storage tanks. These thefts are far more sophisticated and involve long-term planning, resources, and a vehicle capable of transporting the large volumes being stolen. This type of attack is usually repetitive, with thousands of litres being stolen every few days. If not detected quickly, this can continue for weeks resulting in tens or hundreds of thousands of litres of fuel being stolen.

Last month, Merridale were contacted by a long-standing Merridale fuel pump user to discuss adding a tank management system to their package following a recent theft. Thieves gained access to their tank’s contents by drilling through the inspection plate and made away with over £7000 worth of fuel before being disturbed. Given the position of the yard and the location of the tank, they were conscious of the continued risk and needed a way to help prevent future thefts.

Merridale’s tank management systems include stock depletion detection, to alert you immediately via SMS or email, of an unexpected drop in fuel level. This means that you can be alerted to any severe leak or theft from the tank, irrespective of where you are, buying you valuable time in preventing further loss.

To find out how a Merridale fuel and tank management system could benefit your company, contact Merridale on 01902 350 700 or visit www.merridale.co.uk.