Notes from the bay

What we tell drivers at the counter

Written by the people who do the work, for the people who pay the invoice. No listicles.

• Oct 22, 2026 · derate, def, aftertreatment, emergency

  The 5 mph derate: what the truck is telling you and what to do in the next 20 minutes

  A 5 mph derate is the emissions system shutting the truck down on purpose. What triggers it, what the dash was saying, and what to do in the next 20 minutes.

• Oct 22, 2026 · fleet, downtime, worksheet

  What a Toledo fleet actually spends on downtime per truck per day (a worksheet, not a number)

  Industry estimates for truck downtime cost vary widely. Fill in this worksheet with your own fleet's numbers and get one you can defend, and a way to cut it.

• Oct 22, 2026 · roadside, emergency, prevention

  What a roadside quote becomes by the time the truck moves, and how to keep it from happening

  The call-out fee is the small part. How a roadside bill grows: mileage, waiting, parts, the tow, the second repair, the load. And the five checks that prevent it.

• May 31, 2025 · fleet, maintenance, cost

  Where a fleet maintenance program actually saves money (it is the hours, not the oil)

  A PM program does not make oil changes cheaper. It cuts tows, roadside bills, scrapped tires, CSA points and days a truck is not earning. Here is where it pays.

• Feb 9, 2025 · dot, compliance, inspection

  DOT inspection preparation guide: what fails, what the inspector checks, and how to walk in ready

  The five systems that fail semi trucks at DOT inspection, what 49 CFR 396.17 and Appendix A actually require, and how to prepare before the sticker is due.

• Feb 2, 2025 · diesel, engine, symptoms

  Five diesel engine warning signs that mean call today, not finish the week

  Smoke color, power loss, new noises, overheating and hard starts: what each means inside the engine, and what to do before it becomes an overhaul.

• Jan 26, 2025 · alignment, tires, maintenance

  Heavy-duty truck alignment: how often, what it saves, and why all three axles have to be measured together

  When a Class 8 truck needs an alignment, what it does to steer tires and fuel, and what the Hunter HawkEye XL measures that a front-only alignment misses.

• Jan 12, 2025 · maintenance, preventive-maintenance, toledo

  The semi-truck maintenance checklist that keeps a Toledo truck out of the emergency bay

  Daily, mileage and annual checks for a Class 8 truck running Northwest Ohio: what to look at, what the tech does, and what road salt and I-75 traffic add.