When we purchased our new truck we move up from "B" truck plates to "D" truck plates. I know aside from added cost we know have to have the truck inspected semi or annually. I am curious as to what they check. I have been told a lot of different things from just the running lights and the horn to everything. I am curious because my muffler feels a little loose and it may have fall off soon.

Anyone that has done the inspection, will you tell me what they inspected?

Thanks,

James

 

I have seen the Illinois inspection done (I used to live near Chicago), exhaust is one thing they check. They will check your steering and suspension, brakes, driveline, check for leaking oil or coolant, and check lights, wipers, horn, glass, mirrors. Your new truck will pass all this no problem. They probably won't even check it as thoroughly as they should, the state-mandated price doesn't cover the labor to do it properly. I would suggest finding a shop that is friendly to diesel performance, they will pass you with no muffler.

 

We get our grain truck inspected by Goodall Truck Service in Belleville, Illinois. All we do is pull in, then he says do your winshield wipers, horn, lights (high low) blinkers (front rear) running lights, backup lights, and thats it. We have never had to have a smog test or anything? We do the test, then we pay our few dollars, get the sticker and go. Its an easy test, just make sure your stuff works...

 

That's the kind of shop you want to go to. The guys in the bus garage where I worked got paid straight time so it was to their advantage to be thorough - got more overtime that way.

 

Where we used to have the big trucks inspected, it was a $35 joke. All they did was check that anything obvious from the outside was OK. Lights, horn, low air buzzer, tires/wheel hardware, and not much more. Never saw a creeper in the place. They never even popped open the hood.

Since the truckstop changed hands (and the test lane was closed), I do the inspections. I go through it all, since my butt is on the line, if something where to fail.

I won't put a sticker on it 'til anything that needs fixed, is. Doing a complete brake on the one (semi) truck right now.

No one has ever said anything thing about the stack on that truck, either.

Being near a big city may change things a little, as in maybe the Chicago area. They may be more thorough, than the one that used to be here.