Fuel thieves thwarted!

November 16, 2023

Fuel theft is a serious concern for every South African fleet operator and can easily lead to a loss of R60,000 per truck each year! In theory, however, this is not something that keeps DAF operators awake at night.

In 2019, Babcock achieved a significant milestone, becoming a pioneer among truck suppliers in South Africa by adopting TankSafe Optimum as a standard feature. This exclusive fuel security device not only guards against various forms of fuel theft, but also prevents overfilling and spills, ensuring Babcock’s customers enjoy unparalleled anti-fuel theft protection.

In a landscape where diesel costs have surged by an astounding 80% over the last decade and have more than doubled in the past four years, every fuel-saving measure is crucial for fleet owners. Fuel stands as the predominant operating expense for transport operators, constituting up to 60% of a vehicle’s total operating costs. In South Africa, fleet owners additionally face the escalating challenge of fuel theft.

Ensuring optimal fuel security is paramount for transport operators to safeguard against fuel theft. Recognising this need, Babcock has been offering TankSafe Optimum, an acclaimed fuel security device from the UK that ensures 100% protection against fuel theft through methods like siphoning and skimming. It offers a three-in-one protection system that prevents fuel spills, overfilling, and theft.

“One of our clients made us aware of the challenges with generic anti-siphoning units – particularly the ability to skim fuel from the top of the tank,” explains Marius Barnard, MD of Babcock’s Transport Solutions business. “Once we tested the TankSafe Optimum device, we found that it was the only product in the market that could guarantee total fuel tank security. Babcock is therefore proud to be the first OEM in South Africa to fit these devices on all new vehicles.”

Ken Bailey, MD of TankSafe South Africa, commends Babcock for realising that not all anti-siphons were created equal, and for opting for TankSafe to stop fuel losses from theft and overfilling. Fuel theft, he adds, has evolved so that where one point is secured, other “secondary” access points are found. This includes tampering with the fuel level sensor, hoses, and drainplugs.

On the back of the successes of the TankSafe Optimum device, Babcock now offers the full TankSafe solution as standard, including the SenderSafe and DrainSafe. These protect all secondary access points on a fuel tank to ensure a total fuel lockdown on every DAF vehicle. SenderSafe prevents tampering or removal of the fuel sender and pipes, while DrainSafe prevents unauthorised draining of the fuel tank. The anti-tamper banjo bolt replaces the original drain plug/block off and requires a special security tool to unscrew the bolt.

“Our pre-delivery workshop has been fitting the TankSafe Optimum and DrainSafe products as stock-standard fitments on all vehicles since August 2019. We have also recently begun fitting HoseSafe kits as stock-standard on all new DAF vehicles. The primary reason for this decision is that we identified the importance of providing maximum anti-fuel theft protection for our customers, who acknowledge and appreciate the cost-benefit,” explains Dean Temlett, GM – technical services. Furthermore, it reduces the risk of fuel consumption disputes between the OEM and customers.

“I have been in the automotive industry for the past 30 years, initially in the fleet management/telematics business. We would all agree that the technology has been key to changing driver behaviour and driving efficiencies for customers. Coupled with that have been the great technological advances by OEMs to reduce fuel consumption in their offerings,” says Bailey.

Despite these improvements in technology, customers are still not realising the projected return on investment. While telematics data shows that fuel efficiency in vehicles is improving, many customers still do not see any significant change in their fuel spend. The only explanation, Bailey says, is fuel siphoning. The general theory around the world is that 99% of fuel theft is through skimming.

“This doesn’t mean emptying a 400-litre tank of fuel in one go, but taking, for example, some 20 litres after every refill. Skimming often goes undetected because one can claim various reasons such as traffic and strong head winds for the excess 20 litres of fuel,” he explains.

Over the years, adds Bailey, various anti-siphoning devices have come to the market to curb the scourge of fuel theft, but none has provided full protection. TankSafe Optimum addresses the problem through its unique float-valve which allows fuel to flow into the tank during the filling process and then “locks” the tank once filling is complete.

“The pressure of the flowing fuel pushes the float ball down while it enters. However, when filling is complete, the float ball rises up to lock off the tank. In this way, no fuel can be siphoned – not even the top few centimetres. The float-valve lock process also prevents overfilling and spills, which alleviates a lot of health and safety as well as environmental concerns,” Bailey elaborates.

While TankSafe Optimum comes at double the price of some of the traditional anti-siphoning devices at a retail price of about R10,000 for the full lockdown kit on two tanks, the return on investment is unmatched. “If, for example, one siphons out some 25 litres after every tank fill, it means that 50 litres are stolen every week if the truck refills twice a week. If a truck loses about 50 litres of fuel per week, that translates into more than 2,500 litres per truck per year,” he says.

Putting a R24 average value to every litre, this means that the fleet owner could be losing in excess of R60,000 per truck each year. These numbers are staggering for transport operators running big fleets: a fleet owner with 10 trucks in his fleet could lose over R600,000 per year across the fleet!

This is not a concern for DAF operators, though. “Our customers are extremely happy that we now fit this as standard to all new vehicles going into the market. Collaborating with TankSafe South Africa aligns well with Babcock International’s purpose to create a safe and secure world together. This is absolutely the best investment every fleet owner can make,” concludes Barnard.