Fuel stealing

Putting a daily limit on fuel purchases may help. I hear many drivers around the truckstops asking for "cheap fuel." Sometimes I will hear a response and the 2 (crooks) will go to a different channel to discuss the details of how much for how many gallons. Very sad indeed when a driver will sell his employers fuel for half the cost at the pump (which seems to be the going rate).

 

You may also need to hire a mole. Someone you an trust to keep an eye open for anything that isnt legit. hell im available

 

Give your drivers bonuses for 6mpg or over; deductions for less. The good ones will want the bonuses and stay, the bad ones will leave.

 

Your branded tire idea won't work, unless you make them bring the old one back.

I've seen drivers sell the new tire off a truck, and simply have the older tire from the buyer stuck back on. Making money on both sides of the issue.

Theft is rampant within our industry, sorry to say, from company and driver alike.

Aside from bonuses, you might try minimums. I actually worked for an outfit that used minimums. I was leary at first. But it worked out fine. For everyone involved.

Simply put, you average X number of miles per gallon. Or you start looking for a new job. But be fair, you need to take into account that trucks do develope problems. My past employer would check everything when fuel economy dropped off. He even took into account that we ran in freezing weather, and spent X number of hours idling while sleeping. I never knew/met a driver that was fired from this place for fuel economy, 125 plus trucks.

 

I have a w900 that has averaged 5-5.75 mpg for 2 years, hired a guy about a month ago his first week was 5.5 mpg. At the end of the third week the guy in payroll told me my fuel cost were up and gave me a print out of his fuel stops. All most all of the stops were 100 gallons or less, and he was stopping at times twice a day. After seeing a 50 gal stop at 2.99 then six hours later he puts in 125 gallons at 3.47 i was seeing red. He claimed these were shower stops, i told him at that time to fill up at the most reasonable place and i would pay for his showers myself. At that time the best i could figure the truck was getting 3 mpg, I told the dispatcher to get him back asap, he was in alabama, they sent him to van wert ohio, three more fuel stops at less than 100 gal. to get there. He got 100 gal. in van wert and deadheaded home, less than 100 miles. The tanks were bone dry when he rolled in, he's busted! As hard as it was i contained myself and told him he was done, when confronted with the theft he denied it although he was very nervous. I got 2 weeks of his pay amounting to about $2100. So what do you do, figure the differance between what he got for mpg and subtract that from 5 mpg and give him the differance? Keep it all? Something else, the truck was a mess, a broken arm rest, broke air control on seat, heater control knobs broke, oh yeah he also hit a deer and ruined my new texas bumper. ####, did i pick a loser or what?

 

I don't know your state's laws, but Most states, including California and Oregon do not allow an employer to with hold pay, unless their was an agreement beforehand, and this is limited to checked out tools and such.
I hate thieves too, so check with your local (state) labor board. If you act without knowledge, it can be expensive and the crook wins again.