RENTON, Wash. — Potential fuel thieves will be left with a sour taste in their mouths now that PACCAR Parts has introduced the ACRAFIT anti-siphon device for heavy-duty trucks.

Officials say the device is designed for maximum security, easy installation and rapid fuelling. The device is installed in the neck of the fuel tank where it’s narrow openings (no larger than a quarter inch) keeps thieves from reaching the diesel fuel with large-diameter siphon tubes.

The ACRAFIT anti-siphon line includes various sizes to fit all major OEM fuel tank applications and comes with a 10-year unlimited mileage warranty, according to company officials.

“The ACRAFIT anti-siphon device is superior to similar products in the market because it features a robust tamper-resistant heavy metal barrier that’s a quarter of an inch thick,” said Jeff Sass, general marketing manager for PACCAR Parts, which distributes the device exclusively through Kenworth and Peterbilt dealers in the US and Canada.
 
“Earlier this year, as diesel fuel prices reached an all-time high, many truck operators and fleets saw days, even week’s worth of their hard-earned money evaporate in as little as a few hours,” Sass added. “Five gallons of diesel fuel can be siphoned from a fuel tank in just 90 seconds. That makes large trucks, which can carry up to 300 gallons of diesel fuel, lucrative targets.”   
 
Sass noted that he has heard stories from owner/operators and drivers who reported that in the time it took them to have a break at a rest area or truck stop, thieves managed to pump up to 100 gallons of fuel from their trucks’ fuel tanks.
 
USA Logistics Carriers, a McAllen, Texas,-based company, recently installed the ACRAFIT anti-siphon device on all of the trucks in its fleet of 652 line-haul and day cab trucks.  Robert Long, chief financial officer for USA Logistics, said, “The devices were installed after the company discovered that the fuel tanks on about 50 of its trucks were regularly compromised by fuel siphoning.”
 
“As a result of installing the ACRAFIT devices and speed regulators, the company has experienced a 6% improvement in the fleet’s average fuel mileage from 6.8 mpg to 7.2 mpg,” Long added.
 
When fuel prices were as high as $4.50 per gallon, Long estimates that the 6% savings in fuel costs amounted to nearly $75,000 per month.  About a third of that savings came as a result of installing the ACRAFIT anti-siphon devices, he added.  As a result the ACRAFIT anti-siphon devices were able to pay for themselves in just three months.
 
“We looked at several different anti-siphoning devices and we found that the ACRAFIT device offered us just what we needed because of its quality, durability and efficiency,” said Sergio Lagos, CEO and co-owner of USA Logistics.