Small "door" on reefer trailers

Heck, I always thought it was a doggie door for my Rat Terrier - he likes to go in there and cool off during the hot summers.

 

Heck, I always thought it was a doggie door.

 

I have always put my pulp thermometer in the load where I can monitor the temp while in transit thru the little door without opening the right rear trailer door .
Yes the small rear door is also is a great help with onion loads . Keep it open and the small door in front on the drivers side top to help get some air thru the wagon while in transit .
After you unload your onions , potatoes , or even watermellon , the smell is lessened by driving with the small inspection doors open .
Even after a good washout some Shippers may and will reject a stinky trailer .
Hope this helps you with your question .

 

Had a person one time following way to close on a narrow road with double stripe. Hauling a load of garlic from Gilroy to east coast. Would not back off, so at a stop sign ran back and opened the doggy door--didnt take long to get some space to the rear..............

 

Good point desperado. And if leaving the pulp door open doesn't help the smell pass, keep some coffee beans handy.
-If you can't get rid of the funky smell, cover it up!

 

LMAO... good one Burky!

Although yes, Aftershock, the doors WERE used by midgets occasionally, lol. My dad used to be a midget... when he was 5 or 6 years old.

Seriously, the doors used to be a little bigger in the 40's. My grandpa would bring his truck home with a load of lobster, chicken, whatever. He'd open the door and send my dad in to get a few "groceries".

 

They are called inspection doors. It gives driver the ability to check temps as mentioned above, also alot of times when picking up a loaded trailer the big doors are sealed shut, so you look thru the door to see how its loaded, (how high its stacked).
The ventilation answers I saw here are B.S.
The reffer unit allows you to set to specific temps so no need to have door open for such reasons. Also more and more shippers also seal these doors to prevent tampering with freight in any way. Generally if the little door is open the trailer is empty.

 

Hello , I had to grin when you just said the rear inspection door can not be used for ventilation .

My reefer's were always ordered by Utility with a door in front , on the drivers side top with handles to get up to open . Also of course a rear inspection door .
We used it alot when we hauled ONOINS . Also I have to ask ya a question . You say when the inspection door is open the trailer is in most cases empty . Why is it open ?????

Always remember that a day that you don't learn something new is a day gone by ...

Pleasure is mine .......

 

DDDDuuuuhhhh-ventilation ??????????

 

Good Answer Driver .