Need a mentor quick, which will be the quickest reefer or dry van ?

Reefer or dry, utilization is the killer. I am fully utilized in the reefer side most weeks. Plenty of dry drivers are also fully utilized. The nightmare load can happen on either side. Yes a reefer can break down, but at least for the units I have pulled, that is very rare. Most of the time I have problems with the actual trailer more so than the unit. And most of my trailer problems are caused by the last idiot that pulled it, or the idiot before that idiot.

 

Most problems are brought about by the last driver with the trailer you are picking up, be it dry or refer.
And I doubt many of us are truly not part of the problem.

I can not say that I have never dropped a trailer that I knew had problems.
It may have been something that happened while in transit, or something that I acquired while picking it up.
But sometimes I just don't feel like taking the time to fix every little problem that I am left with.
Sometimes I simply don't have the time, HOS wise.
And sometimes, I am required to fix the little problems I am left with by other drivers.

But I take it in stride.

How many of us can truly say that they have NEVER dropped a trailer with a known fault?
Especially after years of service?

 

And the award goes to.....SMH

 

Mac 38 ... if you have a trailer with a problem ... send mac 38. On road is supposed to put the trailer on maintenance hold and arrange for someone to go affect repairs.

 

That would be great...if it actually worked that way. I have dropped a trailer with a known problem and sent the mac38 to get it fixed. I've also picked up a loaded trailer with a problem that needed fixed before I could roll. When I called on road about it, they said there was already a repair order for it and was surprised it wasn't fixed yet. Shippers don't really care. They will load any trailer they have available.

 

Ive done it a time or two, i will admit too it. But it was never something serious (not an excuse.) When I pick up stuff thats not even close to road worthy, thats what bothers me.

They were real happy when I had a list of 14 trailers sitting at a rather important customer in IL, that were red taged. the customer tagged them but never mentioned it, mostly reefer issues (but almost all 1hr or less to fix)

 

Sounds like Costco and we have, or at one time did, have a on site person there to take care of the issues. I can remember one time pulling into SLC and went to the mt lot and every single mt there was red tagged and dispatch did not even know

 

Though I'd imagine some of the costcos do have a collection, this customer begins with a K and ends in raft.

The balls do get dropped from time to time with as many freaking trailers as we do have.

As for SLC being full of red tags, I know your pain, that happened to me like 2 weeks ago in fact. Lost a good load over it.

Ended up pulling one out of the trailer shop later.

 

Not too long ago I picked up a trailer with no mud flaps.
Zero, on either side.

It was at the drop lot in Spokane Valley.

 

My experience has been the opposite. If you run produce they want it there ASAP. When I hauled dry loads I sometimes had three days to run 1400 miles.