Landstar Canada

Will let you know in a couple months. LTL Dry Van, we were doing 11-13K net after fuel, but that's fallen to 8-9K now; or less.

If you are in Winnipeg/Ontario, Call ERB/KDAC, thats about the best reefer job there is right now.

 

I live in sask but im sure that wouldnt be a problem. I've only had 1 month thus far i took home 11k other than that im 8k or less a month and ive had 2 months i didnt even have a check.(still recovering from that yet)
Im staying with my current company until after the ice roads because I be able to take home 25-40k in under 2 months, just gotta put up with -60 and running the truck 24hrs a day.
Whats all involved with reefer work? Just driving from destination to destination and watching the reefer unit temps? Or do you ever have to load/unload your trailer yourself? Do you pickup right from producer or warehouse to retail outlet?

 

Reefer is all about managing your hours, and being able make appointment times early. Most of the time as a US/FAST truck, When leaving Canada I hook pre-loaded trailers in a drop yard, either company or customer. Sometimes you will bring an empty, sometimes just bobtail. Very Rarely will I take an empty from the yard, live load, and head to the US. Once you deliver in the US, it's usually a short dead head, washout, and a live reload; but sometimes it can be a drop and hook. This can be either at a factory, cold warehouse or produce shed. I personally have never gone to a farm or field to load, it has always been medium to gigantic facilities; with tons of docks. Most places you take reefers to, will not allow you on the dock. The reefer place I going too has a 100% no touch policy. If someone asks you to unload, you are to call sales/dispatch right away. (Lots of reasons for this).

The only time I went to retail locations, was working for a mega carrier, doing Canada to Canada runs. Never been to a retail location with a reefer in the US. (Lots of HUGE DC's for retail stores tho).

Taking care of the reefer isn't to bad, just keep it fueled up, anti gel when needed, know how to check all the fluids, intakes, and how to operate the controls. Most newer reefers that get leased, are well serviced so it isn't an issue.

Of course every company is a little different, but with a bigger outfit like ERB/KDac on the US fleet, your experience should be similar. Reefer VS Van or LTL, is much higher miles, longer runs, and typically WAY easier docks to get into. You also get a lot more truck washes, because you constantly get trailers washed out.

The downsides are sometimes Food/Grocery/Cold Storage/Produce/Meat Plants are ########, some of the appt times can be ####ty and often times you are always running out of hours. So you need to know how to manage your logs, when to use PC and 8-2 splits.

 

Aahh sounds like something I'd be interested in, it'd definitely be a learning curve for sure.
I'm used to if i dont have the hours i have to fudge the logbook to make the reload or drop which is half the reason im pretty much done with hopper work. Im sick of running from 5 am to midnight or like in the passed years working a 22hr day to keep dispatch happy so they dont starve you out. Never get to eat healthy or sometimes not even have time to eat the whole day just to sit in line for 3 hours waiting to unload multiple times a day.
Thanks a bunch bosshosscummins for taking the time to give me a run down on reefer work much appreciated.
Definitely a job I'd be interested to try out.

 

No problem man, a lot of people ##### about ELD's and such. But I find they keep everyone honest, and I get consistent sleep/showers/food. Mind you this is running the US. If you do Canada to Canada only, most places want you to be a paperboy, and do the same dumb #### you're experiencing. ERB/Kdac is 100% ELD on all fleets, and won't run illegal. (It is possible to run Illegal on ELD's also, but any company that does that, you don't want to work for. Thats like robbing a bank, and using your own car to get away).

 

My parents drive states mostly and tell me trucking down theres about 10x better than canada. So I'd definitely want to go states side.


My company pushed eld's when they came out, then they realised they couldnt get half the amount of loads done as they were getting before eld's. In the end the guys on eld's suffer, in grain eld's make sure you dont make much money.

 

I haul grain in Saskatchewan, our company is going to ELD s this spring.

 

Ive heard the same thing from my company, going to hurt everybody is all its going to do. Barely any money in grain as it is right now, think T-roys out of perdue and lee transport are the only guys still making bank.
Almost all the 4D guys that came over to us at qline have left or went bust already. We're crazy short on work, been here for almost 7 years never seen it this bad.

 

There is no comparison trucking in the US to Canada. I pretty much refuse to do Canadian loads, or to commute home thru Canada. I would rather bounce to the US and back up.

Running illegal to make money, is always a losing proposition. One day something is going to happen, and none of it will have been worth it. ELDs aren’t the reason people don’t make money in trucking, that would be Liberals causing that.

 

I'm at 4-D over 9 years now. Doing okay, certainly not great.