Stop!!! Thief!!!!!

It is getting pretty bad out there when I read on one of my RSS feeds that the fuel thieves are getting bolder and bolder with where and how they are syphoning fuel.

One trucking company around the Green Bay, WI area said a pick-up truck with a fuel tank in back pulled up to a semi that was in the shop for repairs and dropped a syphon hose into the fuel tank and syphoned out the fuel.  This was all done while the shop was busy and people around.  Now that is what I call ballsy!

Another rancher out West had a large reserve fuel tank in a field for fueling equipment on his land and had been robbed.  Even after installing a fence and tire spikes the thieves still found a way around to get at the fuel tank.   Persistent little buggers.

Thieves are likely selling the stolen fuel at a discount to truckers, farmers or even to their neighbors.   A year ago fuel was $2.70 a gallon and now the cost is anywhere from $4.50 and up.  Times are getting desperate.

The likely time for thieves to hit is in the dead of night when you sleep.  Some thieves have even been so bold as to pull in with a van over the top of a ground tank and through a hole cut in the floor of the van, opened the ground tank, dropped in a hose and using a pumping device, loaded up stored tanks inside the van.  A  very elaborate system and the thieves were also caught this time.

It is hard enough out there to make a living without having to also watch over your shoulder for another trucker to rip you off.  Be cautious and do what you can to safeguard your fuel tanks.

Locking fuel caps can be a pain.  However, when you look at the cost of that tank of fuel and weigh that against the cost of the locking fuel cap or even your time to unlock the tank to refuel, it seems like a pretty small price to pay.

Be aware of your surroundings when you park your truck.  Park at reputable lots that may even have surveillance  cameras and are well lit to help deter thieves.  Any measures you can take to keep your fuel tank safe is time well spent.

And if you see a thief, turn them in to local authorities.  If it’s a trucker out there stealing from another trucker, it gives you a bad name as well.  I know you are honest and are trying to make a living.  But keeping your mouth shut and looking the other way does not stop the thief.  Some people are more desperate than others and the thief may have a gun, so don’t be a hero.   Use your cell phone and call in the crime and let the professionals take care of the thief.  That is what law enforcement is being paid to do. 

Watch out for each other.  

Eliminate the feeling of being robbed at year end by by taking every legitimate deduction you can.  If you don’t track it, those details on deductions seems to fade with time and by year end forgotten.  Easy Trucking Software is a great trucking program designed just for you.  Check it out at www.easytruckingsoftware.com and get your FREE trial download.  Try it before you buy it!

 

 

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