Truck out-of-service after Arizona troopers find bulging air supply hose, ‘fifth wheel plate barely attached’

The Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) Highway Patrol sidelined a commercial vehicle for bad air supply hoses and issues with the locking pins for the fifth wheel bracket.

An Arizona trooper with Commercial Vehicle Enforcement (CVE) stopped a truck with attached trailer on I-40 near Kingman.

During the inspection, the trooper spotted that three of the four locking pins for the fifth wheel bracket were not engaged.

“Only one small, one-inch-by-one-inch square of metal was keeping the trailer attached to the truck! In addition to the fifth wheel plate barely attached, the air supply hoses responsible for the trailer brakes were bulged or worn past the reinforcement ply,” AZDPS said.

The vehicle was ordered out-of-service for the equipment violations until repairs were completed.

“Complacency can lead to disaster or costly breakdowns. Please take a few minutes to do your pre-trip inspections,” AZDPS said. “Safety checks aren’t optional.”