Authorities are cracking down on a range of heavy vehicle faults this week, with a targeted spree in New South Wales.

NSW Police and the Roads and Maritime Service (RMS) have launched a joint operation across Sydney, aimed at finding breaches in vehicle standards, load restraints and speed.

It is the latest in an running series of checks, which so far have inspected 2753 trucks resulting in 1085 defects and 822 infringements being issued for mechanical, licence and registration issues.

Operation ‘Steel Six’ will see police and RMS Inspectors focus on trucks and other haulers carrying shipping containers, scrap metal and trailers with taut liner or side curtains, to ensure they are in line with safety standards and regulations.

Assistant Commissioner John Hartley, Commander of the Traffic and Highway Patrol Command, said the Joint Heavy Vehicle Taskforce is starting to make a mark after a series of crack-downs around the state.

“Over the last five joint operations, we have found compliance issues are still present in regards to maintenance, load restraints and mass within the container freight industry,” he said.

“A number of dangerous and critical load restraint issues were identified during the operations with most resulting in compliant outcomes and vast improvements to road safety throughout the Sydney metropolitan area.”

Director of Safety and Compliance for RMS, Peter Wells, said that recent tunnel incidents show the ongoing operations are vital to ensure compliance throughout the industry.

“When overheight loads hit tunnels, there are significant congestion and repair issues that result, causing significant traffic disruption right across Sydney, and to key ports and transport hubs,” Mr Wells said.

“These basic safety requirements form a critical part of the Chain of Responsibility legislation which aims to ensure all parties take reasonable steps to ensure trucks are safe on the road.”

In the first five rounds, 207 trucks were inspected for speed limiter compliance, resulting in 34 being found to have been tampered with to allow speeds of over 100kph.