Tennessee troopers asked truckers not to skip pre-trip inspections after recently encountering a truck with a major wheel defect.
A trooper with the Tennessee Highway Patrol’s (THP) Motor Carrier Plus unit was patrolling I-65 near the Giles County scale facility when a semi truck was spotted bypassing the weigh station, the agency said in an October 15 social media post.
A traffic stop was initiated and the trooper performed a commercial vehicle inspection.
During the inspection, the trooper located “a severely cracked wheel on the steering axle.”
Due to the “dangerous defect,” the truck was placed out-of-service until the wheel was replaced.
Troopers used the incident to remind truckers not to skip pre-trip inspections.
“This is a critical reminder that a thorough pre-trip inspection can help identify dangerous defects before they lead to a roadside violation, equipment failure, or a serious crash,” THP said.
Troopers asked truck drivers to take a few minutes to perform the following before beginning the driving day.
- Inspect your wheels and tires for cracks, damage, and other defects
- Check your brakes, steering components, and other critical equipment
- Address any safety issues before operating your vehicle
- Never skip your pre-trip inspection
You can see THP’s images of the cracked wheel below.
