What you are buying
An annual inspection is a piece of paper that either holds up at the roadside and the audit, or does not. What makes it hold up is who did it and what they actually looked at.
Here is ours: a qualified inspector under 49 CFR 396.19, working the full Appendix A to Part 396 list in bay 04, about an hour per unit, with the report and decal in your hand when you leave. If an item fails, it is repaired in the same bay, usually the same day, re-inspected, and the report is completed. You do not drive to a second shop with a list.
What the inspector actually looks at
The Appendix A to Part 396 list is specific, and an inspector who knows it is faster and finds more. On a tractor, the hour goes like this:
Brakes and air
Lining thickness at the shoe, drum and rotor condition, and pushrod stroke measured against the adjustment limit for the chamber type. The low-air warning has to come on before 55 psi. Build time, leak-down with the brakes applied, compressor cut-in and cut-out, the parking brake, and the tractor protection valve.
Steering and suspension
Steering wheel lash, column and shaft, kingpins, tie rod ends and drag link, power steering leaks. Springs, hangers, U-bolts, torque arms and air bags.
Frame, wheels and tires
Frame rails and crossmembers for cracks and loose fasteners. Tread depth, which must be at least 4/32 on steer tires and 2/32 elsewhere, plus cuts, exposed cord, inflation, and mismatched duals. Rims, lug nuts, hub oil level and leaks.
Everything else on the list
Headlights, tail, brake, turn and marker lights, reflectors and retroreflective tape. Fifth wheel, kingpin, pintle hook and safety chains. Exhaust leaks and mounts, fuel system leaks and caps. Windshield, wipers, horn, mirrors, seat belt, and the emergency equipment: fire extinguisher, triangles and spare fuses where required.
A trailer gets the same list applied to what it has: brakes, air lines, suspension, frame, floor, doors, lighting, tape, tires, wheels, landing gear and the kingpin.
Why the repair in the same bay matters
A failed item somewhere else means a second trip, a second line, and a truck out of service for the day. Here it means the tech walks the list to you, says what each item takes and whether the part is on the shelf, and gets your approval. Then the item is repaired, re-inspected and the report is completed before the unit leaves.
The shop behind that is four ASE certified technicians, Cummins and International certifications, a certified NAPA Truck Care Center with NAPA parts on the shelf, and the NAPA nationwide warranty on the repair. Brakes, air, lighting and steering parts for common tractors and trailers are usually here, which is why same-day is the normal case and not the exception.
If a steering or suspension item was repaired, the Hunter HawkEye XL alignment system is in the same shop, so the truck can be aligned before it leaves.
What you leave with
- The completed inspection report, with the inspector’s name and every item listed
- The decal or sticker on the unit as proof of inspection
- A copy for the file. 49 CFR 396.21 says the carrier keeps the report for 14 months from the inspection date, and a roadside officer or an auditor will ask for it
If you run a fleet, we file the reports by unit so the annual is on a calendar instead of in a drawer.
Getting ready
Nothing on the list is a surprise, so a walk-around the day before saves you a failed item:
- Check every light and reflector
- Check tread depth and look for cuts and cord
- Listen for air leaks with the brakes applied
- Look at the glad hand seals and the trailer cord
- Confirm the fire extinguisher is charged and the triangles are on the truck
If you want a pre-check instead, say so when you book and the tech walks the unit before the official inspection starts.
Where and when
820 Matzinger Rd, Toledo, OH 43612, a mile off I-75 exit 207 (Stickney Ave), near I-280 and the Michigan line. Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Perrysburg, Maumee, Sylvania, Bowling Green, Findlay and Monroe are all a short run on I-75 or US-23.
Call for the current inspection rate. There is no price on this page because the number you are quoted is the number you should pay.
Book the inspection
Send the 30-second request form with the unit count and a day that works, and bring the tractor and trailer together if both are due. We confirm the time by phone. Or call (419) 724-2475 during shop hours.