Fuel theft

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Sat 13 Sep 2008 17:43
Fuel theft - Andrew-T
As we all know too well, cost at the pumps rose dramatically this year. We heard of major thefts of diesel from farms, but was there an accompanying rash of siphoning etc. as in the early 70s, which provoked car makers to introduce locking fuel caps and other devices? (I don't seem to remember those on cars before that?)
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Sat 13 Sep 2008 22:53
Fuel theft - Dave_TD
Didn't locking fuel caps become a requirement of the MoT test in the late 80's?

The haulage company where I work has had the locking fuel caps levered off most of the lorries and diesel siphoned out on most weekends this year, even though we try to leave as little fuel in the tanks as possible on a Friday night (we are a 24hr operation Sun-Fri). It actually made a change a couple of weeks ago to arrive on Monday morning and find no fuel gone but five of the trucks each missing a side window and a stereo...

Edited by Webmaster on 21/09/2008 at 13:35

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Mon 15 Sep 2008 04:16
Fuel theft - Dave_TD
I'm on night watchman duties atm (on here in my lunchbreak!) and three of the trucks were robbed of fuel during the day.

Edited by Webmaster on 21/09/2008 at 13:34

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Mon 15 Sep 2008 07:41
Fuel theft - grumpyscot
Didn't locking fuel caps become a requirement of the MoT test in the late 80's?

I don't believe locking fuel caps is a requirement - only that you have a fuel cap and the seals work. Many an old mini still has the original unlockable cap.
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Mon 15 Sep 2008 12:40
Fuel theft - Andrew-T
Since only Dave has responded to my question, it might seem that not much fuel is being stolen ... ? Or is it so common it's not worth remarking on?
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Mon 15 Sep 2008 17:51
Fuel theft - shanna
We live in a quiet village just off an A road and there have been two cases of diesel being stolen in the last couple of weeks. One from an old Land Rover and the other a newer 4x4. Not sure how they took it from the tank though.
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Mon 15 Sep 2008 18:20
Fuel theft - DP
If the car has a plastic fuel tank (and the tea-leaves know which), they just crawl underneath with a hand drill and a jerry can. It really isn't any more sophisticated than that.

Not only do you lose the fuel (anything up to £80 these days), but you get to replace the fuel tank as well at £????!?!

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