FuelDefend Global, a manufacturer of locks and anti-theft systems for transportation, said it has a wide range of NeckIt! fuel tank security products designed to prevent siphoning of fuel from a truck’s tanks.

According to Russel Fowler, FuelDefend Global chairman and chief executive, fuel theft is a major problem worldwide and with fuel at or above $4 a gallon, he predicts it will become an escalating problem in the U.S. Fowler said that the bigger problem is not the draining of a tank, or tanks, but rather the on-going theft of small quantities. Taking five gallons at a time may well go unnoticed on a truck because of the size of the tank and the amount of fuel used. The loss is too small to show up in seriously affected fuel economy numbers, but it is there nevertheless, he says.

This type of theft is usually accomplished by inserting a tube into the tank and siphoning off the fuel into a jerrycan-like container. The NeckIt! device slips into the neck of a truck fuel tank to prevent the use of any but a small constricted hose, thereby frustrating the theft. FDG added it has engineered a series of models for different sizes and styles of fuel tanks to accommodate every type of truck and tank.

Fowler said the devices are generally stocked by truck dealers in FDG’s current markets. Many fleets that order have the anti-siphon devices fitted by the dealer before the trucks are delivered. Fleets can order the devices for installation at their terminals.

Unlike some competitive devices available today, the device mounts permanently into the tank neck with hidden screws, and while the holes are too small for a regular hose, there are many of them and the device can flow as much as 30 gal. a minute—faster than any fuel station pump can deliver, said Fowler.

The device can be fitted in minutes and is priced in the $60 to $70 range, with fleet discounts available.