Higher diesel costs have increased thefts from heavy equipment across the Lower Mainland, creating operational headaches and added costs for contractors working on highway and other remote sites.
Diesel prices in the Vancouver area rose 41.8% year over year to $2.52 per litre in August, increasing the value of fuel stored on equipment.
Surrey-based Jacob Bros reported four diesel thefts in three weeks, often involving hundreds of litres taken in a 10–15 minute window.
Fuel thefts add direct replacement costs and indirect operational impacts that can be passed along to taxpayers on public projects.
# What happened
# Why it matters
# Who is affected Contractors working on highway upgrades and other projects that leave heavy machinery parked overnight are particularly vulnerable. The story names Surrey-based Jacob Bros Construction and Vancouver-based Quattro Constructors as firms that experienced recent thefts. Langley RCMP confirmed an active investigation into at least one reported fuel theft but did not provide further details.
# How the thefts happen Thieves typically arrive at night in a pickup truck, set up portable tanks and use the few minutes of apparent normal activity to siphon diesel. To outsiders the scene can look like a contractor checking equipment, which helps the perpetrators avoid immediate detection. Even secured sites with cameras and locked gates have been targeted successfully.
# Operational and financial consequences
# Law enforcement response At least one investigation is active in Langley. Companies reported the incidents to police, but in the cases mentioned no arrests had been made at the time of reporting. Police declined to comment on what stolen diesel might be used for.
# Practical steps mentioned by contractors Contractors are increasing vigilance at night and relying on cameras and gated access, but those measures have not fully stopped thefts. The quick, low-profile nature of the thefts means detection often happens after the thieves have left.
# Bottom line
Farmers and truck drivers are being crippled by record-high diesel prices, and that's driving up prices of food and other goods for everyone
The war in Ukraine and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East are limiting global diesel supply, driving up prices worldwide.
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