Stolen Fuel

This past Monday I was staying at a hotel in Paducah Kentucky. They have a large lot to accommodate trucks and I've stayed there several times without incident.

After doing my pre-trip Tuesday morning, I hopped in and noticed that my fuel gauge was reading empty. I was a little over half full when I parked on Monday. Someone had managed to steal about 120 gallons. I reported it to the hotel but they don't have a camera which covers the truck lot.

You’ve got to be a real dirt bag to be doing stuff like that. I had a gas cap stolen a couple weeks ago and came out to be $80.

That is why I have locking caps. Won’t stop it, but sure slows them down and discourages it.

You’ve got to be a real dirt bag to be doing stuff like that. I had a gas cap stolen a couple weeks ago and came out to be $80.

With that much fuel, this seems like someone who does this for a living. You'd need a pickup with a large tote and a pump to get away with that much fuel.

Dirt bag(s) is a very accurate description.

Sorry to hear that

Yep, 1 thing I hate is a thief!....Worked with a guy @ WM back in the 80's he was like 6'4" big guy, really mellow and cool. He liked them older 70's cadillacs. Ya know how heavy them doors are, well, he heard a noise outside his pad 1 night. Looks out, see's a guy on his knees under the dash, trying to hot wire his car.....So he said he snuck out, came up behind the guy, yanked him by the collar, and slammed the door on his head. Knocked him out, called and waited for the cops to come arrest him...

How to steal fuel? I just ran across this video on YouTube. The 15 minute show is a full investigation and bust of fuel theft at a Florida Wawa

The thieves had a way to bypass the pump controls. But for the OP's problem, you can skip to 12:15 on the tape to see the theft equipment in a van.

Cops Bust Elaborate Fuel Stealing Scam

Imagine this van cruising a truck stop or hotel parking at 3 am! And they don't have to bypass a fuel pump security system, just twist off your fuel cap!

Errol, that's been going on for years, especially @ U-Haul dealers. When I worked for an auto shop in Hesperia,Cal., we also were the #1 U Haul dealer, in the high desert....Regularly got hit for lots of fuel, they'd cut the filler neck hose usually. I had to repair so many theft damages I lost count. Even as far as doing roadside repairs, or at other dealers in the high desert....We stocked the filler hoses in bulk for each model trucks, since it was happening so often.

The 10ft van box trucks, have plastic tanks. So they'd drill holes in it to drain the fuel. I had a plastic "welder", I'd plug the hole, get fuel, take to our shop, and repair the holes....The 26 ft trucks were the easiest with the tanks right there in the open. Newer 26 footers got even easier with the 2 plastic vent valves, they'd pop out and suck the fuel. Got to the point batteries wee being stolen, up to whole trucks!!...........

They tried to steal 4 of our trucks on our lot, got the junky 14 foot "in town" truck we were assigned.....3-4 , of the 17 foot trucks were stolen, stripped and dumped in the desert a few times. Tires n wheels all gone wiring harnesses cut out, was crazy days.

Higher the gas prices went, so did the thefts of the gas.

I was in MS once and fast asleep. I woke when I heard something but wasn't sure if it was real or a dream. Then i felt my truck rock. I jumped up and looked at my mirrors. Nothing. When i sat back in bed, I felt someone on my catwalk.

I slowly got to the drivers seat and started the truck and turned on all the lights. I saw him running between the trailers. He got the reefer fuel, but I interrupted the main tank theft.