Missouri Sheriff Stops Truck Held Together by Rope and Bungees

Even though my family and friends include many truck drivers, I don't consider myself an expert. However, I do understand that a truck pulled over recently in Missouri wasn't safe as the deputy found it had a load only connected by bungie cords and rope.

The Platte County Missouri Sheriff's Office shared a stunning update on social media this week detailing what they found when they stopped a truck on June 17, 2026. You can see the pictures for yourself, but here's their explanation of what the deputy discovered:

"On 6/17/2026 a deputy with the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit stopped a 2013 Peterbilt truck tractor pulling a 2023 intermodal chassis. During the inspection, the deputy found the trailer’s suspension was not connected and found the suspension system was being held together by a piece of rope as well as bungee cords. We would like to remind our professional drivers why a pre-trip inspection is important and safety defects risk lives on our roadways. The driver was cited for the violation, and the trailer was placed out of service until it could be towed or repaired on scene."

My intention is not to judge or shame this truck driver who will remain nameless, but securing a load this way put everyone anywhere near him on the road in danger. I was driving north on Highway 61 in Missouri this week and a truck ahead of me had some type of metal gutters in the back that were moving around. They seemed to be held down (barely) by some twine or thin rope. I couldn't get out from behind him fast enough as I could imagine one of those gutters becoming a metal spear.

Once again, you can see the example of how not to connect the load on your truck here.