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What fuel theft is really costing Saudi fleets — and how to stop it
Hidden losses from misuse and theft are draining fleet budgets — IoT can put you back in control.
Written by:
Wahab
Client:
Location:
Published:
June 11, 2025
Completion Date:
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Fuel is one of the biggest operating costs for any fleet in Saudi Arabia. But what’s often overlooked is the cost of fuel misuse and theft — and how much it’s quietly eating into profit margins. From unauthorized refueling to inefficient routes and fraud, the losses are real, and they’re often invisible.At LTS, we’ve worked with national-scale fleets to bring this problem into the light — and solve it with IoT.
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01
The silent cost of uncontrolled fuel
When there’s no real-time monitoring, fuel disappears in dozens of ways:
- Drivers refueling personal vehicles
- Fuel being siphoned or drained
- Idling and overuse due to poor routing
- Tampering with fuel cards or meter readings
- Vehicles operating outside assigned hours or zones
Individually, these losses might go unnoticed. But across hundreds of vehicles, they add up fast — often accounting for 5–15% in untracked fuel spend.
02
Case study: NAJM takes control of its national fleet
We partnered with NAJM Insurance Services to help them bring full transparency to their mobility operations:
- Over 600 vehicles and 1,200 drivers
- iButton-based driver identification to prevent unauthorized access
- Remote control of vehicle ignition and door systems
- Real-time monitoring of fuel usage, location, and behavior
- Maintenance scheduling and route tracking from a single dashboard
The result? Real accountability — and a significant reduction in fuel misuse and operational friction.
When there’s no real-time monitoring, fuel disappears in dozens of ways [...] often accounting for 5–15% in untracked fuel spend.
03
Why fuel misuse is a systems problem — not a driver problem
Many fleet managers assume fuel theft is a behavioral issue. But it’s really a visibility issue. Without the data, you’re guessing — and people naturally exploit the gaps. Once real-time tracking is in place, patterns become visible, and behavior changes.
More importantly, automation removes temptation. When drivers know their refueling, mileage, and usage are being monitored, they self-correct.
04
What a good fuel management system should include
Not all systems are built the same. If you’re evaluating solutions, look for:
- Tank-level fuel sensors, not just GPS
- Real-time dashboards hosted in Saudi Arabia
- Alerting for unusual consumption, draining, or overfilling
- Integration with routing and maintenance tools
- Driver ID or access control features
05
The bottom-line impact
For large fleets, even small improvements can mean hundreds of thousands in annual savings. But beyond cost, fuel transparency brings:
- Better route planning
- Lower environmental impact
- Safer, more compliant operations
- Less manual oversight and reconciliation
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If you’re still managing fuel with spreadsheets and paper logs, it’s time to upgrade.
We’re happy to show you how.
