Defects found in Sydney tunnel truck

Heavy vehicle inspectors have uncovered a string of defects in a trucking company fleet responsible for blocking Sydney's Eastern Distributor.

A tip truck became wedged in a tunnel near Moore Park at 8am (AEDT) on Thursday, causing major traffic delays for most of the day.

NSW Police and Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) put the trucking company fleet through a safety audit 24 hours later.

Twenty-one trucks were directed to RMS checking stations at Wetherill Park and inspectors allegedly located a number of defects, including faulty brakes, steering, engine and transmission issues.

The truck company operators were issued with 12 penalty notices.

The company has been contacted for comment.

The traffic-stopping truck on Thursday was stuck in the tunnel until 3pm and the driver had to be rescued from his cabin.