No experience but getting Authority

Wings,
Sorry, no time or patience to read back through the posts to see your history. But do you have reefer experience? Why reefer? It has to be hands down the worst freight to haul.
Red has his son doing it so I give him a pass. But finding good direct reefer freight is hard.

 

I do not have any reefer experience - can you explain why it is the worst freight to haul? Is it the waiting to load/unload, lumpers, dealing with the reefer unit itself, multiple picks/drops, pallet exchange, or something I haven't mentioned?

I was interested in reefer for the flexibility of dry goods or refrigerated, plus I know I can consistently get loaded out of my area. I also have made personal contacts in the area with other O/Os that can set me up with some work when they have overflow.

My direct OTR experience is with skateboards, and obviously I can get loaded out of here with one as well. I just don't know whether the slight increase in rates from dry/reefer in a box trailer to flatbed is worth all that goes into keeping a load secured without walls on your trailer.

I am open to suggestions, though. My quasi-father-in-law (gf's father) exclusively runs flatbed, and he also says that's where the money is. He can also get me loaded up and down the eastern seaboard.

I haven't bought a trailer yet, so I'm not locking into anything as of yet.

Thanks for the feedback, I do appreciate it. Thanks for your thread on the DOT new entry audit as well, great information.

 

Reefer freight adds that extra element of risk with the temperature control. Otherwise I'd agree with Bill with pickup/delivery delays and odd hours. Aside from the obvious personal inconvenience, these things make for some challenging scheduling. Oh yeah, there's also the extra time/cost of keeping the van clean. Most reefer freight is some sort of food, and food shippers are pretty picky about that. Certain loads I just plan on a truck wash and the extra time after delivery.

That flexibility is overrated. The reefer unit plus added trailer weight (insulation) reduces the amount of freight you can load. There's been many times I've passed on dry freight because the load was just too heavy. So dry freight is an option, just not as great an option as it would appear.

On the other hand, the temp control risk is offset a bit by the fact that most things that need refrigeration also spoil. Which means there isn't as much time for the shipper to wait around on a cheap rate.

I'll also throw in there that, if I had to do it all over again, I would have bought a better trailer. For what I spent, I got a good value. However, the age of the equipment means I pass on ice cream loads. My van will cool and hold to -10ºF fine (good for most frozen products) but -20ºF for ice cream is a struggle and nothing I'd want to bet a load of freight on for a hot sunny day. I've passed on 3 ice cream loads in the past two months that would have paid pretty decent. We did haul one where the broker snuck it into the back of a multi-stop load, but it was going to be no warmer than 50ºF and overcast/raining the whole way and it wasn't an issue.

 

Wings you nailed most of it with a great follow-up from Red.

I hated the hours and the way that you are treated. And think about it. You are hiring someone to do work for you at a premium rate and get the worst service around. If I am going to pay you over $100/hr you should make me feel like I just checked into the Ritz.

 

If your girl friend's father can help you get loads starting out and that is where most of your experience lies, then it seems to me to make more sense to start with a flat bed. A good reefer unit is not going to be cheap. If you want to pull a reefer, perhaps you could work for a reefer carrier first to see how you like it. It is much cheaper to learn on someone else nickel.

 

I might add, if you are thinking produce there are all the markets that can be in hard to get into high crime areas. I don't know if it is still the same but there used to be many you could only get into at a 90 degree position or better and were lucky to keep your mirrors. In addition to the early A.M. deliveries just know if you are 10 minutes late they will often make you wait until the next day because they start loading outbound as soon as they quit receiving and then go home in early afternoon.

Then they will refuse one or two pallets that don't meet their standards??? You haven't meant a tightwad robber until you have dealt with some of those markets in the far east. I'm not saying it can't be worth it. I will say I had far more problems with produce than anything I ever hauled. In fact I never had a problem with anything I hauled besides produce. I guess this is why some insurance companies don't want anything to do with it. Just expect the unexpected.

One last thing, you don't know what stress is until you load potatoes out of a hot California field and have your reefer quit in Arizona before you even get the load cooled to temperature. Then you spend big money to get it fixed only to stop two more times and get it worked on. When you get to your destination you have brown mush running out of your stinking rotten load of fresh potatoes. I would not load anything that has not been cooled first.

 

There are things that require a reefer other than produce that pay well, such as pharmaceuticals. You would likely need to bump up your insurance and they may want you to have been in business for a while before doing business with you.

 

Any grocery load that I haul (and they are few and far between) I always have a detention conversation with broker. If they have one then make sure you see if on rate confirmation sheet. If not, tell them yours and include it with rate confirmation. The better ones have something in place but will not pay it unless you ask for it.

I also charge a processing fee if I have to go out of pocket on lumper fee. Amazing how many get you a comcheck vs. paying an extra $25 on the load.

 

We got a load of non-hazmat adhesive once that was a keep from freezing load set at +60ºF. If the outside temp is really low, the reefer is a heat pump and will warm the box too. Nurseries will do the same with live plants, both heat and cool. Those tend to leave a mess so plan a trailer wash into your rate LOL. You dial in the temp and the reefer goes to that setting no matter what's going on outside. There's all kinds of stuff that needs a temp controlled box.

 

We used to haul a fair amount of nursery stock. Reefers can stay pretty busy year around hauling it, but that type of freight can get your trailer a little dirty.