Explore the Future
RDK Truck Sales · The Blog
Straight Talk on Trucks, From the People Who Sell Them
Meet the Author
Every Post Written by Richard Kemner, Founder of RDK Truck Sales
Richard Kemner started RDK Truck Sales in Tampa back in 1997 with a simple idea: sell good trucks to good people, and stand behind every one.
Nearly three decades later he's still in the day-to-day — spec'ing chassis, talking with manufacturers and fleet operators across Florida, and paying close attention to how trucks actually hold up on real refuse and roll-off routes. This is where he shares that perspective: plain-language takes on emissions rules, pricing, residual value, and fleet planning, written to help you make the call that's right for your operation — not to push whatever a press release says you should want. No hype, no jargon, just the kind of straight talk you'd get standing in the yard on Adamo Drive.
Story Series
Gary the Garbage Man
Gary Kowalski clocks in at 4:47 a.m. and loves Big Bertha — his 33,000-pound rear loader — more than most folks love their cars. Stories from the seat of a garbage truck.
Read the Gary stories
Daylight saving time ends November 1. Prepare your fleet to fall back with RDK's truck-lighting, crew-visibility, and driver-readiness checklist.
Own, lease, or rent? See the best term for ASL, rear loader, roll-off and front loader refuse trucks, based on real cycle counts and wear.
A DEF header north of $500 can park a $350,000 truck. Here is what the part actually does, why it fails, and what to check before you buy one.
DEF is 32.5% urea and 67.5% deionized water. Heat and time are what push it off spec, and off-spec fluid is what kills sensors, catalysts, and uptime.
Every OEM says 2027 diesel engines are ready. History says otherwise. See the sourced calendar of promises, delays, and what it means for you.
Rising fuel costs, driver shortages, tighter municipal budgets — every refuse hauler feels it. Here's how the haulers who come out ahead use tough stretches to grow instead of just survive.
Leaving a load in a refuse truck overnight quietly costs you thousands in corrosion, hydraulic, and pest damage. Here are 10 reasons to dump at end of day.
RDK Truck Sales reports from Work Truck Week 2026 on the 2027 emissions changes and new 48V-heated DOC/DPF/SCR systems for refuse and roll-off trucks.
Spring hydraulic system maintenance checklist for refuse trucks — fluid, hoses, cylinders & filters. 40+ years of expertise from RDK Truck Sales.
RDK Truck Sales on facing global uncertainty with resilience: why we keep showing up, serving customers, and standing strong together as one.