VTM Develops Security Concept Against Fuel Theft

The Swiss VTM Technik AG has developed a security concept against fuel theft. With this, freight companies can minimize up to 90 percent of their losses. The gas station network operator is taking action against fuel loss. Fuel management is done via an app, video surveillance, and a tank siphon. A digital dipstick is intended to provide a solution.

(Lucerne/Switzerland) Fuel theft, dilution, siphoning: The growing fuel crime among truck drivers, suppliers, and third parties means financial losses in the four to five-digit euro range per year for many freight forwarders. To literally put a stop to diesel theft, VTM Technik AG has been the first in the market to design special protective measures. In addition to a digital dipstick that checks the delivered fuel for its temperature, volume, and content, a siphon in the tank nozzle prevents the illegal siphoning of fuel tanks. The core of the security concept is a specially programmed app that replaces the tank card, which is prone to manipulation. The underlying software has already been patented by the subsidiary of the Swiss-based Swiss Kiss Petrol AG.

Diesel Loss is Part of Daily Business

“Unfortunately, diesel loss is still part of the daily business for freight carriers – caused by theft or dilution. This results in annual financial damage of several thousand euros for the affected companies,” says Stefan Rettberg, Chairman of the Board of Swiss Kiss Petrol AG. For this reason, the subsidiary VTM Technik AG has devised a multi-layered security concept consisting of four components: a digital dipstick, a special tank app, a preventive tank siphon, and video surveillance. “It is the combination of these various mechanisms that makes abuse nearly impossible,” says Rettberg. For freight forwarders, the fuel supply chain has many vulnerabilities where manipulation occurs. As the owner of a company-owned gas station, the delivery itself already poses a first source of loss. “Often, the supplied fuel deviates in volume, temperature, or quality from the target,” explains Rettberg. A digital dipstick with VTM software that can measure these values is intended to make the supply more transparent and controllable in the future.

The Problem has been the Tank Card

When the vehicle is refueled at a foreign gas station, the next opportunity for abuse arises: filling canisters, private cars, or foreign trucks for cash. “The problem has been and still is the tank card. It is not uncommon for one driver to help another because the latter has forgotten or lost his card or it is defective. The PIN numbers are also no secret among colleagues,” says Rettberg. This makes it almost impossible to find out who is responsible for the fuel loss. The solution promises the app called VTM-Tankmanager, which has been introduced to pilot customers for half a year and is patented, replacing the tank card. According to Rettberg, it virtually eliminates abuse and thus forms the core of the security concept. In the future, the driver will request a refueling via the app installed on the provided tablet and will receive a temporarily valid TAN through it. The app then retrieves relevant vehicle data such as mileage and tank level, license plate, and driver’s name without the driver’s involvement and sends this data to the central system for controlling.

Complete Control via App

For vehicles where the app cannot connect to the truck via an interface, the data can alternatively be transmitted via photo and/or manual input. After the refueling process, the data is retrieved again and compared with that of the dispensing point. If they do not match, an alarm is triggered. In this case, the fleet management can conduct a visual check using a surveillance camera. If abuse occurred at the gas station, it is thus detected and documented. If theft can no longer occur at the gas station, the only remaining option is to siphon from the filled truck tank. “This is where our tank siphon comes into play. Its basket is just deep enough for the nozzle to be inserted during the refueling process, but it is no longer possible to insert a siphoning hose,” explains the expert. The plastic attachment is made of high-strength, fiberglass-reinforced plastic. Its material composition prevents both oxidation and electrostatic discharge. “It also prevents fuel from overflowing or leaking. This makes the entire refueling process safer,” says Rettberg. The product is already available in the ELVIS-Truckstar, the online shop of the European Cargo Alliance of International Freight Forwarders (ELVIS AG).

About VTM Technik AG

VTM Technik AG builds, purchases, and integrates independent gas stations into the VTM gas station network to enable cost-optimized fuel handling. VTM also produces and distributes the hardware components required for integration into the gas station system. The parent company is the Swiss-based Swiss Kiss Petrol AG. Photo: © VTM Technik AG / Image caption: Through the VTM-Tankmanager app, the driver requests a refueling and transmits relevant vehicle data such as mileage for manipulation checks to Swiss Kiss Petrol. (Photo: VTM Technik AG)www.vtm-fair.de