Dear valued customers,
Gasoline Theft Alert! Fuel theft is starting to happen at a greater frequency and these thieves not only have figured out how to open and free flow the pumps (mainly diesel ) but they are now coming in with bigger tanks (Some with 1,000 gal. Capacity ). With the gas prices as high as they are it is very attractive to them and very painful to your profit and loss’s bottom line. Claim#1- A large flatbed truck pulled up to the diesel gas and underneath the truck was a 1,000 gallon tank custom built into the chassis. They were there for almost 2 hours , once they were done a second truck (exactly the same) took another 1,000 gallons, and 2 hours later a third truck pulled up and stole another 1,000 gallons. 3,000 gallons in total stolen in a little over 6 hours. (thought…this should have raised huge suspicion) Claim#-2- Customer came in and paid the cashier $300 and ask to activate pumps 5 & 6 . Then he must of opened the pump , tampered with the electronics and told the employee that the pump did not work and the cashier gave him back his $300. That same customer ended up staying at the pump for an hour and a half, filling up not only his trucks , but several other thieves came by and continued to steal Diesel. (thought…cashier should contact a manger/Owner to check it out/verify first) Important Training suggestions; Have weekly or monthly meetings with all your employees. Explain to them what is happening and that they need to pay attention, watch the pumps and if anything is suspicious to report it immediately. If there is all of a sudden a long line at the diesel pump, the employee should investigate immediately. If there is a large truck at the same pump for a long period of time, say over 30 minutes, again investigate. While these are commonsense practices, your employees need to be aware and follow this process when they see anything suspicious or out of the ordinary. Another helpful suggestion is to make sure you place cameras in those hidden areas to be monitored as well. Possible Prevention; From what we have been told, there may be locking devices to help prevent the theft from happening in the first place. Check with your maintenance companies and see what they might have to offer. One of our customers shared that they installed a very loud alarm system at the pumps that would sound off if opened without authorization. If you do get hit by these gasoline bandits, make sure to file a police report immediately, this is an insurance requirement, and keep any video and/or witness information. Thank you for your continued support! And as always we are here to help with any questions you may have.
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As we are all becoming aware of, the Insurance industry for Service Station businesses is dramatically changing, (and not for the better) and we are anticipating that it will become even more stringent in 2023. All claims, whether small or large, will have a significant impact on your premiums. So, whatever you can do to prevent claims is more important now than it’s ever been.
Here are a couple of important reminders we’d like to readdress. Gasoline theft. In just the last couple of weeks we had three more diesel gasoline thefts, one of which was significant. There are preventative measures that can be taken to prevent this type of theft. As mentioned in our previous newsletter, there are alarms that can be installed on the dispenser that will set off a “bell” when someone tries to tamper with it. This worked very successfully for one of our insureds and prevented a potentially large claim. They are using a Ring Security Alarm with contact sensors. Also, train your employees to be more observant on trucks that are parked at pumps for extended periods of time. Maintenance. Remember, improper maintenance and normal wear and tear claims are not covered on any insurance policy. With winter approaching, it is very important that you take time and clear the roof gutters and check your premises for any other areas that may need some repair to prevent potential issues or loss. |
RKM Insurance AGENCY
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