Reefer / Produce hauling tips

[CondoCruiser]

I've hauled mainly peaches, nectarines, tangerines, and plums. They come straight off the tree, boxed and on the truck warm. You want to run on continuous so you always have air flow and defrost cycle across the desert. It would take almost two days to chill down to pulp temp. You always want to consider outside temp. If you're running across a 100 degree desert, you want to subtract 1-2 degrees below pulp temp to compensate. You'll lose 600-800 lbs to evaporation on your trip. When you get close to pulp temp is when you wanna check. Keep the doors closed as much as possible.

Onions and potaoes are about the easiest produce to haul.

I hauled alot of banana's also. They haul between 58-62 with 60 be optimum. Those come off the boats prechilled, so you want them to pulp 59-60 and they better be green. The same with them, you want to compensate for extreme outside temperatures. I've hauled many north-south in the winter. What I would do is leave Gulfport, MS at 59-60 degree's, when I got further north I would go up to 61. By the time I got to 20 and below I would be set at 62. Summer time I would run at 58 during the daytime.
I got up in MN a couple years ago when it was -15 degrees (-40 wind chill) and weather shut everything down. I sat on a load of banana's all weekend. I kept it at 63 and the doors shut. When I unloaded it pulped out perfect at 60. The other two loads were lost and went to a banana bread plant.

When you haul a variety of products, know your temps. The temp be on the bills. If there is a discrepancy on temp between the bills and what your company tells you, call your dispatcher and ask. Sometimes the receiver wants it at a different temp. But CYA. Some places you go might have strict temperature guidelines. 1 degree too low or too high can make a difference whether you unload or not.

Some of my best days trucking was hauling produce. You'll enjoy it.

[NJKatwoman]

I may be hauling produce soon. I am assuming to "Pulp the produce" means to stick a thermometer in it? Where can I buy the proper thermometers that I will need? I haven't hauled reefer in 15 years, and I did it only for a few months back then. So, I am a total newbie now. Feel free to throw lots of advice at me! lol! Thanks, gang!

['olhand]

Almost all truckstops carry pulp thermometers--if your in a pinch--but you can also pick them up at almost any grocery store--walmart etc---just remember--you are NOT always going to load pre-cooled produce--if loading @ a barn load house etc--it usually has been vacumed cooled--but--many parts of the country do still field load certain items--so of course--the whole pulp temp thing goes out the window--because YOU are going to do the cooling for them--again not really a big deal once you have done it a time or two--don't be afraid to shout out if this happens--one of us will be glad to help--and as I said previously--you will find that MOST of the folks you are loading with--will be happy to help a newbie out--it is all in the approach
Hope that helps

[Allow Me.]

Yeah, you want to pulp the product before it goes on to CYA. And note it on the BOL. Also check with dispatch/shipper/consignee and get names. In transit, pulp the air in the trailer. (Pulp means you stick the product randomly with a temp looks like ice pick with a guage).

[steelbeltsdrumming]

Two of us loaded apples in Washington state for Chicago...my buddies TK quit and it was about -10F... we took my buddies 'Ryan' thermometer out of his trailer and put it in mine... delivered without a problem in Chicago despite his trailer temp being 20F...whew!

Apples are probably some of the toughest and hardiest things out there as far as produce goes, though 20 degrees for too long is really pushing your luck

[stocktonhauler]

[QUOTE=hunts2much;1116628]So I'm pretty new to the reefer / hauling produce world. I recently got hired by the coveted "smaller" company. My dispatch is starting to trust me more and more with each load, which has earned me a lot of long reefer runs as of late. I enjoy it and would like to keep doing it. Plus they pay me quite a bit more $$$ to drag a reefer unit rather than dragging a dry box around.[Quote]

So, I would love to hear any general tips some of you veteran produce haulers have to offer. Pretty much anything you could think of would be appreciated.

But here are a few topics I would especially enjoy hearing about...

-When is it appropriate to run start/stop or a continuous cycle?

Continuous is really only needed for sensitive flowers and produce, where the sudden flow of cold air can damage the product. I use start-stop whenever I get a chance to save fuel and engine hours, but in the summer desert areas, some loads, like ice cream, are so often in the "on" mode that one might as well run continuous to keep the engine from racing so much. Otherwise, there's no need to put frozen loads on continuous, they are very stable and work well with start stop.

-Washouts?

Your company probably will pay for washouts whenever you want them, so I'd do this whenever you have time. In my own case, as an owner-operator, I do a lot of sweeping out and simply do whatever I can to avoid another expensive washout. Even smelly chicken blood dripping loads can be fixed with a tiny bit of Starbucks coffee and a broom out, prior to loading produce, in a pinch. The cargo doesn't touch the floor anyway, so the issue of contamination is really a bogus one. I do eliminate any sort of debris and make the trailer look good on the inside.

-Dealing with lumpers / unloading your own load

Do yourself and everyone else a favor--avoid unloading on your own. The lumpers need a job, and there's nothing worse than a driver giving his labor away for free to big chain grocery store warehouses. That's not right. Normally, owner-operators like me have more important business to do than unload--like doing paperwork and finding the next load.

-Reefer unit maintenance

Units maintained according to California's ARB rules are very reliable and mostly need only oil changes. Some error codes can be fixed by the driver, others need fixing by a professional. If the reefer fails, get it repaired immediately. Regardless of time of day or holiday, repair is available that will save the load.

-Hauling produce in California

The best paying produce loads in the nation come mostly from California, so don't pay attention to those who voice negatives about Salinas and elsewhere in the state. IMHO, the loaders in California top those anywhere else for ability to balance out the trailer with minimum hassle.

Touch the pallet stacks before they enter the trailer. They better at least feel cold to to the touch. With a little experience, you can tell when a shipper is trying to hot load your trailer in a way that the receiver won't like it.

-Major NO-NO's

Don't put strawberries and leafy greens on start-stop. Don't forget the temp recorder--it's there to protect you. If you are detained by the receiver after two hours, don't fail to ##### and moan immediately about it to your dispatcher. Regardless of the excuses, you are entitled to extra compensation, and if the lousy receiver doesn't compensate, post a complaint about that company on this website under "bad receivers"

[stocktonhauler]

Onions and potaoes are about the easiest produce to haul.

These are the heaviest and cheapest paying loads to haul, and they can be a hassle--although the receiver won't inspect the cargo at unloading.

A load of potatoes destine for the potato chip factory will leave the trailer in such a mess that a washout is always necessary. Onions can leave an odor that will offend shippers of chocolate and flour.

[lonelyswmtrucker]

u can get the onion odor out by simply sprinkling coffee grounds, orange juice or slices, clorox through out the trailer also a wash-out before doing this will help as well.

[aussiejosh]

yes i agree with striker it can be fun trying to get a diesel motor going after running out of fuel however a good driver will never ever run out of fuel it takes a few simple tasks to avoid this happening after you've been doing reefer work for a few months you get really good at knowing how long a tank of fuel lasts just as you get used to how far you trucks' fuel lasts the other thing that seems to catch alot of people out is the start of winter with temperatures dropping always put the diesel fuel anti freeze additives in sometimes when you leave a reef at a storage warehouse they switch the motor off which if left in the freezing cold will gel up all your fuel and will take ages to fix even longer than running otta fuel.

[CondoCruiser]

yes i agree with striker it can be fun trying to get a diesel motor going after running out of fuel however a good driver will never ever run out of fuel it takes a few simple tasks to avoid this happening after you've been doing reefer work for a few months you get really good at knowing how long a tank of fuel lasts just as you get used to how far you trucks' fuel lasts the other thing that seems to catch alot of people out is the start of winter with temperatures dropping always put the diesel fuel anti freeze additives in sometimes when you leave a reef at a storage warehouse they switch the motor off which if left in the freezing cold will gel up all your fuel and will take ages to fix even longer than running otta fuel.

You only run out one time! I find it easier to crack open an injector line or two instead of at the pump. You can get more air out that way. I was pushing delivery one time on a short hot run and pulled up to the guard shack and she quit. Oh crap! I just kept my mouth shut since it was frozen and they didn't even notice the yellow light. That was a close one. If I can help it I won't let one drop below a quarter tank 99% of the time.

Always treat in winter. If it's subzero out, always leave it running on continuous. I picked up a gelled one one time off the yard. It was minus 15 out. We took her in the shop and put one of them turbo heaters under it. It took a couple hours to get her thawed out and going. I could imagine if you were in the middle of nowhere.

Prevention is your peace of mind.