Broken Trailer Hitches

Broken Trailer hitches:

Every once in a while, stuff happens that makes you wonder how it is possible for something that appears so strong to break so easily.

For those of us that tow equipment, this is a scary sight. Picture yourself booking down the road pulling a 10,000 lbs or 20,000 lbs trailer and your trailer hitch breaks like this!

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What catastrophic accident could this type of failure cause? 

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Think about what would happen to your trailer and equipment, if this trailer flipped over with your equipment because the hitch broke off, what would happen if the safety chains did not hold the trailer because they were worn? What if the safety breakaway system did not work because the battery was discharged or non-working? Imagine the consequences and the liability that could arise from such an accident. 

Fortunately, this hitch broke while maneuvering at low speed on a paved parking lot. The damage to the hot top was minimal and primarily cosmetic. On this trailer, the chains were in good shape. The breakaway system was properly attached and functioning and the backup battery was fully charged. 

Had this happened on the road, the trailer would have done some serious road carving and hopefully, nothing too dramatic would have happened.

The moral of the story is that, no matter how strong manufacturers make a tool or an item, somebody is going to figure out a way of destroying it, even if it is made of 2 1/2-inch steel.

This is why it is so important to provide documented equipment and driver training and have a safety company policy, requiring drivers to perform the daily documented DOT  equipment pre-trip inspection. 

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