Category Archives: Truck Service and Repair

DOT Inspection

A DOT (Department of Transportation) inspection is a comprehensive review of a commercial vehicle to ensure it meets all federal safety and operational standards. The most common is the Level 1 Inspection, which includes both the driver and vehicle.

The current DOT inspection guidelines are governed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) under 49 CFR Part 396, which outlines requirements for the inspection, repair, and maintenance of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs). These guidelines are essential for ensuring vehicle safety and compliance with federal regulations.

Key Inspection Guidelines

• Periodic Inspections (§ 396.17)

• Daily Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports (DVIRs) (§ 396.11)

• Systematic Inspection, Repair, and Maintenance (§ 396.3)

• Roadside Inspections (§ 396.9)

  • Authorized officials may conduct unannounced roadside inspections of CMVs.
  • If a vehicle is found to have violations, it may be placed out of service until the issues are corrected.
  • Drivers must provide the inspection report to their motor carrier, and the carrier must correct any violations and certify the action taken within 15 days. FMCSA

For more detailed information and resources, you can refer to the FMCSA’s Motor Carrier Safety Planner, which provides comprehensive guidance on compliance with federal safety regulations.

D.O.T. inspection at TruckMax.

At TruckMax we focus on ensuring the truck itself is safe, roadworthy, and compliant—often through certified DOT inspectors on-site.

Here’s what it typically includes:

Vehicle Inspection Covers:

  • Brakes (service brakes, parking brakes, hydraulic system)
  • Lights (headlights, brake lights, turn signals, warning lights)
  • Steering and suspension
  • Tires, wheels, and rims
  • Windshield wipers and glass
  • Mirrors
  • Fuel and exhaust systems
  • Frame and trailer
  • Coupling devices (if applicable)
  • Emergency equipment (triangles, fire extinguisher, spare fuses)

Driver Inspection Covers (not performed at TruckMax):

  • Commercial Driver’s License (CDL)
  • Medical examiner’s certificate
  • Driver’s daily log and hours of service
  • Seat belt use
  • Alcohol or drug use indicators
  • Vehicle inspection reports

Staying on top of DOT inspections is essential to avoid penalties and keep your operation running safely.

Keep your truck road ready and compliant with a certified DOT Inspection at TruckMax Miami! Our expert technicians ensure your vehicle meets all federal safety standards—fast, thorough, and done right the first time. Conveniently located in Homestead, we get you back on the road with confidence. Don’t risk costly fines or downtime—trust TruckMax for your next DOT Inspection. Stop by or call today to schedule your service!

Filtration Solutions for commercial trucks.

Commercial truck filtration is easy to take for granted. Best-working filters keep engine and cab air clean. Allowing both the driver and the diesel powerhouse to breathe deep. While filters become more efficient overtime, they reach a tipping point when they need some truck maintenance. When performing maintenance, it’s very important to replace filters with a brand new one.

A good filtration protect customers’ engines and mobile equipment, from first to last use, through innovative filtration solutions. It keep commercial engines running at peak capacity. With filters, coolants and fuel additives that increase uptime, reduce costs and leave a light footprint on the environment.

TruckMax Parts department offers superb product quality, and the industry’s broadest product line. A comprehensive portfolio of filtration products and technologies. Providing customers a single streamlined source for all their engine and mobile filtration needs.

TruckMax carry filtration for Hino Trucks, Isuzu Trucks, Volvo Trucks, Cummins Engines, and Mitsubishi Fuso Trucks. You can find the best selection of filtration for your commercial truck air, cooling, fuel, hydraulic, lube and transmission systems. Along with our other filtration products for any truck make. Finding the Right Filters is Easier than Easy.

Hino Truck filters

Fleetguard Filters continually develop, refined and improved their products by Cummins research and engineering teams worldwide. Cummins filters produces truck air, cooling, fuel, hydraulic, lube and transmission systems, along with other filtration products.

Fleetguard filters

Donaldson Engine Filters & Parts. Deliver a full line of aftermarket fuel, lube, coolant and air intake filters for diesel engines, hydraulic and bulk tank filtration. Plus exhaust system components.

Baldwin Filters is a global provider of filtration products and services.

Isuzu FleetValue Filters. As a second line parts supplied only through authorized Isuzu truck dealerships, are designed with the primary focus being: low cost of ownership, safe operation of your trucks, and superior quality. FleetValue Filters are designed and built to ensure your truck runs at its peak performance and stays on the road longer.

Whatever tough challenges you face, with TruckMax filtration you will find efficient and real solution. TruckMax has what it takes to be your one-source filter provider to keep your equipment running and your job on schedule.

For more info on TruckMax filters visit or contact us through our website.

Find out about Isuzu trucks recommended maintenance schedules here

Do You know Isuzu Trucks recommended service intervals?

To keep your Isuzu commercial vehicle running at optimal performance, Isuzu Trucks experts recommend servicing your truck every 8,000 km or 150 engine hours. See the detailed schedule below for more information.  

Request a service appointment today and let our experienced, skilled technicians take care of your Isuzu truck. Whether you need an oil change, fuel filter replaced, or DPF cleaning, we can help with all your service needs. We also recommend a fuel filter maintenance schedule to get optimal fuel usage. 

Fleet preventive maintenance

Preventive maintenance (PM) is the regular and routine maintenance of commercial vehicle to keep them running, and prevent any costly unplanned downtime from unexpected equipment failure.

A successful maintenance strategy requires planning and scheduling maintenance of equipment before a problem occurs. A good preventive maintenance plan also involves keeping records of past inspections and the servicing of trucks.

Because of the complexity of maintaining a preventive maintenance schedule for a number of trucks, many companies use TruckMax Homestead to perform their required preventive maintenance tasks.

When is Preventive Maintenance Required?

The exact requirement for preventive maintenance will vary depending on the truck make and the operation it is performing. Truck industry uses standards to help determine schedules for maintenance so that commercial vehicles do not run to failure. These guidelines will also cover the type of inspection or maintenance that is needed.

Ideally, by following guidelines set down by manufacturers or standards, a PM schedule should ensure proactive maintenance rather than having to resort to reactive maintenance when something has already begun to fail.

Preventive maintenance keeps your drivers safe, reduces operational cost, and boosts productivity and manages business downtime. Keeping your truck or fleet in good working condition all-year round helps you avoid operational delays and maximize your productivity.

Following this type of predictive maintenance schedule, through tasks such as condition monitoring, requires accurate recording of inspections and servicing against an understanding of the lifespan of a particular piece of trucks. Preventive maintenance can be determined from these records.

At TruckMax Homestead, we provide all type of truck maintenance, including preventive. Our ASE certified technicians diagnose, and repair all makes and models of medium and heavy-duty trucks and yard spotters. So, you can rest assured you are in good hands. Contact one of our service advisors today and schedule your next commercial truck service.