Cheap imports mean lousy hookups

IRONDALE, Ala. — “But boss,” you say after the accident report comes in. “I know we dropped that trailer, lost a $300,000 load and kissed that longtime customer goodbye forever…

“But the upside is I saved you $20 when we spec’d that fifth-wheel.”

The people at component builder Fontaine think the above exchange is actually plausible, so they’ve issued a warning to the truck industry to be wary of product knockoffs.

The fifth-wheel market, Fontaine says, is being poisoned by an inferior line of locking jaws and wedges that are so cheaply manufactured they could cause a major accident.

Plus they’re a measly $20 cheaper than the real McCoys.

Multiple fleets have reported failures of non-genuine replacement parts installed in Fontaine No-Slack fifth wheels and they were all caused by the non-genuine part’s locking wedge stud falling out.

“In this challenging economic environment, it is natural for fleets to try to cut costs wherever possible,” says Roger Crawford, president of Fontaine Parts Connection. “Clearly, all replacement fifth wheel parts are not created equal, so why take the risk?”

Fontaine also says that using non-genuine components on its fifth wheels voids the manufacturer’s warranty, transferring all liability to the component seller and end-user. The non-genuine locking jaw and wedge kits that caused the dropped trailers were imported from China and sold by a number of companies.

Genuine Fontaine No-Slack parts are easily identified. They have “Fontaine” and the model number forged into the jaw and wedge. They are sold in small brown boxes imprinted “Genuine Fontaine Parts.”