Hi all
I have a very strong reason to believe that my driver is stealing fuel, I am 90 % sure that he is filling up and either filling up jerry cans or someone is meeting him there as he is filling up a 350 litre tank with 370 litres. Is there a stamp on the fuel tank stating the capacity ■■?
What the manufacturers state as their tank capacity and what you can get in the tank are normally two very different things. My Volvo’s are supposed to have a 460 litre tank but you’d be running on fumes if you’d used 420 litres.
We have been following the MPG for sometime as the fuel drawn and used by the truck using the tracker has been out by as much as 100 litre. This week is prime, covered 902 miles yet has used 677 litres ?! That’s 6.06 MPG. He is aware that I’m looking into the fuel problem
Simple, tell him to bring the lorry back to the yard nearly empty, then fill it up yourself, then you’ll know how much the tank holds, don’t say anything and see how much he puts in from that point, if it’s more than the tank holds, you have the answer, he’s a thieving git and needs his hands chopping off.
newmercman:
Simple, tell him to bring the lorry back to the yard nearly empty, then fill it up yourself, then you’ll know how much the tank holds, don’t say anything and see how much he puts in from that point, if it’s more than the tank holds, you have the answer, he’s a thieving git and needs his hands chopping off.
I did think about this however there was one day that I filled it up from empty at shilwoods in Thurrock. So I’m currently looking for a receipt, I was looking for something more concrete in case he tries to come back at us if , when, we fire him.
He won’t, if you pull him and he’s guilty then the threat of violence or the old bill will be enough to see him gtfo dodge sharpish.
hubman:
newmercman:
Simple, tell him to bring the lorry back to the yard nearly empty, then fill it up yourself, then you’ll know how much the tank holds, don’t say anything and see how much he puts in from that point, if it’s more than the tank holds, you have the answer, he’s a thieving git and needs his hands chopping off.I did think about this however there was one day that I filled it up from empty at shilwoods in Thurrock. So I’m currently looking for a receipt, I was looking for something more concrete in case he tries to come back at us if , when, we fire him.
Depending on which fuel card you use then it should listed on velocity or on the invoices from the fuel card company
Why bother if he’s stealing the fuel? If you aren’t happy with the figures he is making, replace him, assuming others doing the same work in that vehicle get better figures. If he’s not stealing are you happy to still be stuck with 6 mpg?
And remember what the pump shows as been pumped isn’t alway a true value !
I’ve put 7l in a 5l jerry can before from a petrol station .
And I used to work in a petrol station way back when and I know they can fiddle them to pump less but showing more .
I will going tho the fuel receipts and comparing them, I will also tell he drIver to stop using south mimms as I know he lives on Watford and see what happens, in the mean time I think I will put some hidden cctv on the fuel tank and see what happens.
Measure the fuel tank and calculate the capacity.
If it is an original tank the dealer can tell you exactly the size.
I used to drive an FH and one of the dashboard readouts was fuel used, I used it after having problem when it wouldn’t always take the fuel from one of the tanks meaning you come to a halt with a fuel gauge showing 1/2 of a tank.
So I would have thought most trucks would have had something monitoring actual fuel used which could be downloaded and matched to fuel bought.
Years ago it was known that drivers would use the fuel card to buy ■■■■ etc when fueling up in certain places.
muckles:
So I would have thought most trucks would have had something monitoring actual fuel used which could be downloaded and matched to fuel bought.
Hi
Yes my tracker has this, it gives me the fuel used and kms covered,
i.e. this week miles covered 902 miles, running sheet and tacho 902 miles
Fuel used 102.51 Gall= 466 litres… fuel drawn 307.65 and 370 litre drawn = 677.65 litres
hubman:
muckles:
So I would have thought most trucks would have had something monitoring actual fuel used which could be downloaded and matched to fuel bought.Hi
Yes my tracker has this, it gives me the fuel used and kms covered,i.e. this week miles covered 902 miles, running sheet and tacho 902 miles
Fuel used 102.51 Gall= 466 litres… fuel drawn 307.65 and 370 litre drawn = 677.65 litres
Is this actually monitoring what the engine is using from a fuel flow meter, then you have him banged to rights?
I work that out as a 45% difference between fuel used and fuel drawn, 
bit more than an acceptable error in fuel measuring.
Did the truck go out full of fuel at the start of the week?
You have these figures over a period of time, it will show a pattern
You need to have a word with the driver and do the whole thing properly, so he can’t come back at you.
but I’m sure it will be seen as Gross Misconduct and grounds for instant dismissal.
Don’t try and stop him by banning which fuel stations he can use, he’ll just find another way to rip you off.
muckles:
hubman:
muckles:
So I would have thought most trucks would have had something monitoring actual fuel used which could be downloaded and matched to fuel bought.Hi
Yes my tracker has this, it gives me the fuel used and kms covered,i.e. this week miles covered 902 miles, running sheet and tacho 902 miles
Fuel used 102.51 Gall= 466 litres… fuel drawn 307.65 and 370 litre drawn = 677.65 litresIs this actually monitoring what the engine is using from a fuel flow meter, then you have him banged to rights?
I work that out as a 45% difference between fuel used and fuel drawn,
Did the truck go out full of fuel at the start of the week?You have these figures over a period of time, it will show a pattern
You need to have a word with the driver and do the whole thing properly, so he can’t come back at you.
but I’m sure it will be seen as Gross Misconduct and grounds for instant dismissal.Don’t try and stop him by banning which fuel stations he can use, he’ll just find another way to rip you off.
Having had my ( the bosss) current truck from new, with no other driver for quite a while, I can say the onboard computer under records the amount of fuel used. I would guess that manufacturer supplied kit may lean this way. But I gotta say that it is nowhere the amounts youre discussing here. Its a little less than 10% from my current experience. If your driver is using self serve then, if he is fiddling, he could be filling cans or other vehicles. If manned stations it could be as above, or maybe a cash fiddle with station owners or operators. 110 litres is 5 or 6 jerry can fulls. He cant be carrying that about in his buttie box! And I reckon not many cars have 110 litre fuel tanks?
The 307.65 and 370 litres put in the tank are only relevant to the miles covered if the 902miles started with a full tank and ended with a full tank. If he started on a quarter of a tank and finished with a nearly full tank, for example, then you cannot work out an accurate mpg figure.
Now, in order to work out of the bloke is stealing from you, first you need accurate mpg figures, otherwise you have no idea. So, print out a former with mileage and fuel added columns, get him to fill the tank, record the mileage when full, then the mileage and fuel added from that point and you can come up with a real mpg figure.
Once you have that, it will be easy to spot a pattern, if he fills at a certain spot and mpg drops compared to other fill ups, there’s a good chance he’s filled a drum with your diesel. Then you work out when he’ll be there again and pop along to watch proceedings, if a drum comes out, film it on your phone and Robert is your Father’s brother.
hubman:
muckles:
So I would have thought most trucks would have had something monitoring actual fuel used which could be downloaded and matched to fuel bought.Hi
Yes my tracker has this, it gives me the fuel used and kms covered,i.e. this week miles covered 902 miles, running sheet and tacho 902 miles
Fuel used 102.51 Gall= 466 litres… fuel drawn 307.65 and 370 litre drawn = 677.65 litres
Hi, I don’t doubt your concerns but I would check the following just to be sure.
He filled up 677 litres and used 466 litres. So there should be approx. 211 unused litres still in the tank, or he is coming back pretty much on fumes / empty?? My Actros does have the capacity stamped on the top, not in very big letters but it is there…
Who is your company, I saw a driver fill up 4 ad blu cans that were in a bp services last week and secure them on the truck, he didn’t have any plant on board, it was a curtainsider, so I’m guessing it was for personal use, I’m sure if a driver was ripping me off, he would be in a vegetive state by now.
Sapper
hubman:
We have been following the MPG for sometime as the fuel drawn and used by the truck using the tracker has been out by as much as 100 litre. This week is prime, covered 902 miles yet has used 677 litres ?! That’s 6.06 MPG. He is aware that I’m looking into the fuel problem
Don’t trust trackers 100% if you’re going to sack a man. Check the mpg the old fashioned way. Fill the tank and take the mileage then let it run for a week or two. Fill her up again and take the mileage. You now have accurate, reliable figures to work out the mpg.