Overnight truck part theft leaves company with $70K bill

An overnight heist involving expensive truck parts nearly shut down a Saskatoon business for two weeks in early July.

Canadian Freightways had diesel particulate filters (DPFs) taken from seven of their eight trucks overnight on June 30, with the first workers coming in early on Canada Day discovering the missing parts.

“It pretty much took down our whole fleet,” said Anne Schafer, service center manager for Canadian Freightways.

DPFs are used to remove soot from the exhaust gas of a diesel engine. Some cores are made from metal fibers, which contain precious metals.

The parts are usually found on semi trucks.

Schafer said the part isn’t readily available, and it took some time for the trucks to be repaired.

“It took almost two weeks to have them all completed,” Schafer said.

“It’s not a part that they just carry in stock.”

She added the parts cost around $10,000 each, leaving the company with a bill for over $70,000.

The theft appears to be part of a pattern. Saskatoon police reported 11 cases of DPFs being stolen from trucks around the city over the first half of July. Officers are advising companies to enhance their security to prevent similar heists.

Schafer said Canadian Freightways is listening, installing security cameras and hiring guards for their yard.