Dry Van to Reefer

Not if you are already solo, but depending on the account, you might have to be trained in reefer if you have no experience with one. It is a whole new ball game.

 

Reefers are not for everyone,i was asked to help out,and pull a reefer loads a few times,got less then a 3 hours sleep on each.Sleeping with that racket all night over the years,must have some long term effect on the hearing.

 

What's the big deal? There isn't that much difference?

 

Minus having to deal with the Mafia (lumpers). A lot of delivers are 0001 and 0500 or 1700 to 2300. Most grocery warehouse personnel seem to hate their job. A lot of grocery warehouses if they're not brand new or built in the last 15 years. Seem to be in the war zone of most cities. God bless you guys cuz I couldn't pull a reefer for those reasons and many more.

 

For reefer division, you pretty much just hook up and figure it out. Make sure to get a list of reefer codes. They don't even make you take the reefer training course. I was trained by a Van guy and never knew how to operate the bloody thing till I picked one up at started pushing buttons. Then I did my homework, and asked other drivers what was up. But there's nothing to it really, keep it fueled up, if it runs out you will have to prime it. Watch your temps, the pulp thermometer for Mac 16 is the trailer door thermometer. Make sure there's 3/4 fuel in if you drop a loaded trailer. Don't fill a rail trailer more than 1/2 unless it's going on a rail car (the trailers with the 100 gallon tanks.)

That's about it.

 

Saw a Swift reefer guy with his little check reefer light showing a red K meaning there is a problem. I'm sure he could see it in his mirror if he looked, but he was pulling up onto the freeway no worries I guess.

 

Could have known about it, there are allot of codes that can more or less be ignored.
Or part two, he's taking it to get repaired or delivered before the unit goes down. The newer ones throw up the K of death for low fuel.
However there have been plenty of loads lost to the no pre-trip crowd.

 

I left Swift and back to pulling reefer again. I can tell you, a red K, nothing to fool with. I yellow then you can look and see one. As far as pre trip, the newer ones all do their own pre trip as far as the engine as soon as you turn it on. Also depend on if Carrier or Thermo. Different lites. I pull carrier