Hernando County has a single interchange on I-75. Exit 301 lies about 3.5 miles east of Hill ’n Dale, and it was rebuilt as a single point interchange in a $95 million project that also widened part of Cortez Boulevard to 6 lanes, finished in fall 2019. Farther east along US 98/SR 50, in Ridge Manor, Hernando County lists a Walmart distribution center of about 1.6 million square feet among its top employers. For heavy trucks, Hill ’n Dale is the stretch of highway between the interstate and Brooksville, and RDI Power’s shop is at the Brooksville end of it.
Exit 301 traffic and what it wears out
A tractor coming off a long interstate leg and a dump truck shuttling around the county ask for different repairs, and both use this corridor. Highway miles pile hours onto injectors, turbochargers, alternators and cooling fans. Short, heavy runs wear brakes and keep exhaust temperatures too low for the aftertreatment to stay clean. The Kenworth, Peterbilt, Freightliner, Mack, International, Volvo and Western Star trucks we see run Cummins, Detroit, PACCAR, Volvo and Caterpillar power, and RDI Power is Caterpillar certified.
Derates and air pressure problems between Exit 301 and Hill ’n Dale
Among heavy-truck complaints, 2 tend to give warning before they strand a rig:
- Derate or reduced power. The DPF, SCR catalyst, DEF dosing, NOx sensors and EGR system work as one, and a fault anywhere can cut power. Forcing a regen may get the truck moving, but a filter that keeps plugging is usually being fed by an injector, an EGR fault or a turbo seal passing oil. We find the source.
- Air pressure that builds slowly. A worn compressor, a leaking line, or an air dryer that purges constantly. On the wheel end, a slack adjuster that keeps needing adjustment points to worn cam bushings or a failing adjuster, not a maintenance chore. Our brake system repair page covers both halves of the air system.
Those 2, plus a leaking charge air cooler (lost power, higher exhaust temperatures) and a fan clutch that will not engage on a hot pull, are worth catching before the truck gets back on I-75.
Heavy-duty work in the Donto Way bays for Hill ’n Dale rigs
In the shop, the diagnosis starts with the ECM’s story and ends with tests: air system leak-down, cooling system pressure, boost and backpressure, injector performance. Engine work ranges from sensors and harness repairs to head gaskets, EGR coolers and in-frame overhauls, and drivetrain work covers clutches, driveshafts, U-joints and differentials. Trailers can come in with the tractor. The digital inspection that comes back includes photos of brakes, tires and suspension along with the repair itself, and labor is warranted for 3 years or 36,000 miles. For tractors, the rest of what we handle, from clutches to overhauls, is listed under semi and heavy-duty truck repair.
Moving a disabled rig off Cortez Boulevard near Hill ’n Dale
If the truck can drive safely, the shop is about 10 road miles west of the middle of Hill ’n Dale, straight down Cortez Boulevard. If it cannot, call before anyone hooks up a wrecker. A mobile technician can often confirm the failure, and sometimes fix it, where the truck sits; mobile diesel repair in Hill ’n Dale explains what that visit covers. Owner-operators outside the fleet program can call (352) 433-3800 during weekday hours, 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Trucks based farther east, at the US 301 junction, will find their own corridor on the Ridge Manor semi truck repair page.