The US 98 and 301 multiplex is the spine of Dade City North. At the north edge of Dade City, on US 301 by Lock Street and Blanton Road, the old Lykes-Pasco juice plant is now the Dade City Business Center, and County Road 578 ends at the same stretch of highway. RDI Power repairs the Class 8 tractors and heavy straight trucks that work this corridor, in our heavy bays in Brooksville or on site with a mobile technician.
From juice plant to Dade City Business Center on US 301
The juice plant closed in 2004, and JDR Investments, the company of the buyer, Jim Guedry, turned the former Pasco Beverage Plant into the Dade City Business Center. In 2017 Superior Precast moved into about 63,000 square feet there to supply precast concrete for Florida DOT road projects. Tenants come and go, but whatever leaves the north end of Dade City on a flatbed or in a van trailer, the tractor pulling it wears in the same places, and those are the subject of the rest of this page.
Cooling and charge air on Dade City North tractors
A tractor pulling near its limit in Florida heat leans hard on its cooling package. Radiators and charge air coolers clog with debris from the outside and scale from the inside, fan clutches wear and stop engaging fully, water pumps weep, and thermostats stick. Any one of those can send the temperature gauge up on a loaded pull, and a charge air cooler leak will also cost power and push exhaust temperatures up, which loads the DPF faster. We pressure test the cooling system, check the fan drive, smoke test the charge air side and look at coolant condition before any part is ordered. Our radiators and cooling page covers the parts involved.
Electrical faults and derates on Dade City North rigs
Newer Cummins, Detroit and Volvo engines are as electronic as they are mechanical, so many heavy-truck complaints start in the wiring. A chafed harness behind the cab, a corroded connector at a sensor or a weak ground can set codes that look like a failed module or a bad injector. We read the data with heavy-duty diagnostic software, check voltage drop and connector condition, and prove the fault before swapping expensive electronics. Caterpillar engines get a technician from a Caterpillar certified shop, and older 3406 owners can read about common Caterpillar 3406 PEEC issues on our blog.
Air brakes, drivelines, clutches and aftertreatment are all part of the same heavy-duty work, and every truck leaves with a digital inspection that photographs its brakes, tires and suspension. The complete list is on our semi and heavy-duty truck repair page.
A tractor stopped on US 98 and 301 in Dade City North
From the middle of Dade City North the shop is about 24 road miles away, so a tractor that will not move should get a technician before it gets a wrecker. Air leaks, electrical faults, failed sensors and fuel filter problems can often be repaired where the truck sits. If the diagnosis says it needs the bays, we plan the tow with you. RDI Fleet accounts have 24/7 roadside assistance; owner-operators outside the program can call during weekday hours. Our Dade City North mobile diesel repair page lists the landmarks that help a technician find you, and heavy haulers in the Lacoochee industrial area have their own Lacoochee semi truck repair page. Tractor owners in Dade City North can call (352) 433-3800 to talk it through.