Phosphate built Mulberry and still runs it. Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection says Central Florida’s Bone Valley mining happens mainly in Polk, Hillsborough, Manatee and Hardee counties, and Mulberry is at the center of it: Mosaic’s Nichols mine is about 2 miles east of the city, and Mosaic’s New Wales facility is nearby. The railroad grew up around the same industry. CSX’s Bone Valley Subdivision links to the Valrico Subdivision at Mulberry Yard, at Prairie Junction, and the Achan Subdivision runs south from the middle of town to Bradley Junction. For a fleet working in this district, uptime depends on maintenance done on schedule, and RDI Fleet is RDI Power’s program for exactly that.
Engine hours or miles: PM intervals for Mulberry trucks
A truck that spends its day idling, running a PTO or making short loaded trips does not accumulate miles the way a highway tractor does, but the engine is still working. Planning PM by the odometer alone can let oil, filters and aftertreatment go too long on that kind of truck. RDI Fleet sets intervals by engine hours where the work calls for it, by miles where trucks run distance, and by calendar for units that sit between seasons or jobs.
If your trucks work on unpaved roads, air filters and the intake tract get checked more often. If they pull hard in summer heat, the cooling system, belts and fan drive get extra attention. These adjustments come from what each unit’s inspection history shows, not from a generic chart.
A Mulberry plan for heavy and vocational trucks
RDI Fleet covers light, medium and heavy duty diesels, from crew pickups to Class 8 tractors and vocational trucks, plus trailers. For a Mulberry operation, a typical plan includes:
- Oil, fuel filter and air filter service at the right interval for each unit
- Brake inspection with lining measurements and air system leak checks on air-brake trucks
- Tire, suspension and steering inspection
- Cooling system, belts and hoses
- A scan for active and pending codes, including aftertreatment
- Annual DOT inspections scheduled alongside PM
Our mining industry page covers the haul and support trucks that work around pits, and our Caterpillar engine repair page covers Cat heavy engines in detail.
A plan also helps decide how long to keep an older truck. Blow-by, leaks, coolant loss and repeat repairs are recorded visit after visit, so when a Mulberry unit with a high-hour engine needs a major repair, you can weigh the decision against that truck’s actual record instead of a guess. The same records help when a unit is sold, since a buyer can see how it was kept.
Brakes and air systems on Mulberry heavy trucks
Loaded trucks on short, stop-and-go runs work their brakes harder than highway tractors, and an air-brake system that is a little out of adjustment or leaking slowly can pass a casual look. On a Mulberry plan, every visit includes lining measurements, a check of slack adjuster travel, and a leak-down test of the air system with the engine off. Air dryer service keeps water and oil out of the lines, which protects valves and brake chambers. Worn components are photographed and scheduled before they turn into an out-of-service violation or a truck that will not release its brakes at the end of a shift.
From unit list to calendar in Mulberry
The first call covers what you run and how it works: units, classes, hours, loads, and what has been breaking. A technician then walks your Mulberry yard, records each unit’s VIN, engine and hour or mileage reading, and flags anything that cannot wait. Intervals, inspection due dates and known repairs go onto a single calendar, built around the hours your trucks are parked, and the plan adjusts as each unit’s inspection history builds.
How Brooksville technicians cover Mulberry yards
There is no RDI Power shop in Polk County. Our technicians come out from Brooksville on scheduled visits, timed around the hours your trucks are not working, and service as many due units as the visit allows. A Mulberry fleet does not need to lose a truck for a day to get an oil change. When a job needs the shop, such as an in-frame overhaul or a transmission rebuild, we plan it with you so the truck is out of service for the least possible time.
Warranty, reporting and roadside for Mulberry fleet accounts
Each visit produces a digital vehicle inspection for every unit, with photos and notes, building into a service history you can use for budgeting and replacement decisions. Fleet repairs carry RDI Fleet’s 2-year / 24,000-mile warranty, fleet accounts get priority service, and roadside assistance is available 24/7 at (352) 433-3800.
See RDI Fleet maintenance for the full program, or Mulberry mobile diesel repair if a truck is down now. Operators with yards east along SR 60 can read about fleet maintenance in Bartow.