In 1885, Highland City was the only stop on the Pemberton Ferry Branch between Lakeland and Bartow. More than a century later it is still in the middle: an unincorporated community of 12,355 on US 98, northwest of Bartow and east of Lakeland Highlands, with the Polk Parkway crossing US 98 just to the north. Its volunteer fire station has since become an official Polk County station. A fleet based here can reach Lakeland, Bartow and I-4 without much trouble, which makes it a sensible base, as long as the trucks stay running. RDI Fleet, RDI Power’s fleet program, keeps them running on a plan.
A Highland City yard in the middle of the US 98 corridor
US 98 through Highland City carries about 58,500 vehicles a day in FDOT’s 2025 count. For a fleet based here, every unplanned shop trip means a truck fighting that traffic instead of working. RDI Fleet is built to cut those trips down. Most of the maintenance happens where your trucks already park, and a visit is planned around the hours they sit.
Building a Highland City maintenance plan
We start with a list of every unit and what it does. From there:
- Intervals by class and duty. A pickup running errands into Lakeland, a medium-duty truck making deliveries toward Bartow and a tractor heading out to I-4 each get intervals that fit their work, set by miles, engine hours or calendar.
- Inspections on the same calendar. Annual DOT inspections are booked alongside PM so a unit comes out of service once for both.
- A clear budget. Findings are sorted into what needs attention now, what can wait for the next visit and what to keep watching.
- Priority when something breaks. Highland City fleet accounts move ahead in the schedule for unplanned repairs.
Yard visits from Brooksville to Highland City
RDI Power’s only shop is in Brooksville. In Highland City, technicians bring the tools and parts to your yard for preventive maintenance, inspections, diagnostics and many repairs. When a truck needs bay time, such as an engine overhaul or a transmission rebuild, we schedule it with you so the truck goes to Brooksville when your operation can spare it. The diagnosis from the Highland City yard travels with it.
Pickups and medium-duty trucks on a Highland City plan
If your Highland City fleet leans on diesel pickups and medium-duty trucks, the plan is built around their engines. Power Stroke 6.7, Duramax and Cummins trucks follow the manufacturer’s schedule or oil life monitor, shortened for towing, idling and short trips. Newer Power Stroke and Duramax engines use glow plugs, and hard starts on cool mornings are worth reporting before they become a no-start. Fuel system faults get a proper diagnosis; RDI is a Bosch dealer and works with Alliant Power fuel injection. Medium-duty box trucks and chassis cabs are tracked by engine hours as well as miles, because time spent idling counts. For dealer-level work, our technicians carry Ford IDS and WiTECH, and RDI’s technicians are ASE certified.
Before the first visit, gather what you know about each unit: VIN, engine, mileage or hours and recent repairs. It shortens the walk-around and gets the calendar set sooner. Trailers count as units too, so list them with their brake type and any problems you have noticed, from lights that flicker to a brake that drags.
Records your Highland City office can use
Every visit produces a digital vehicle inspection for each unit, with photos and notes. Over time, those reports become a service history you can hand to a manager, a driver or an auditor. They also show which trucks are costing more than they should, which makes replacement planning a decision instead of a guess.
Highland City fleet warranty and roadside coverage
Repairs under an RDI Fleet account carry the 2-year / 24,000-mile fleet warranty. Fleet accounts get 24/7 roadside assistance, so a truck that stops on US 98 or SR 540 after hours still has help, and its past inspection reports are on record. The number is (352) 433-3800.
The whole program is laid out on RDI Fleet maintenance, and our DOT inspections page explains what the annual inspection covers. For breakdowns, see Highland City mobile diesel repair. Fleets that also run out of the county seat can read about fleet maintenance in Bartow.