Cootes NSW fleet to be audited

A third of the trucking fleet of Cootes Transport will be called in for safety checks after several major defects were found in their vehicles during earlier inspections.

NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay ordered the inspections following spot checks of Cootes vehicles last week including 35 at Wetherill Park and Port Botany which resulted in 17 vehicles with major defects.

They were immediately ordered off the road for repairs.

Further inspections are due to start on Tuesday.

"All fuel and LPG tankers frequenting NSW must be inspected by Roads and Maritime officers within a week," the Roads and Maritime Services department said in a statement.

"About 400 of the 1200 trucks in Cootes fleet will need to comply."

Any truck found to have a major defect will be grounded until necessary repairs are conducted.

Cootes made the headlines last October when one of its fuel tankers crashed in Mona Vale in Sydney's north, resulting in the death of two people.

Comment has been sought from Cootes.