Reefer setting

I have a load that I pull that the BOL states to maintain between 33* and 38*. The load is cheese and other cheese products. The last time I hauled it I set it at 35* cyclic and noticed it would get as high as 39* and as low as 31* so I ended up lowering it to 34*. My thought process was that it is better to get a little colder then too warm.

I also had it set at 35* continues and just watched it drop and drop and drop to 32*.

My claims department says they are fine with me setting it at 35* cyclic. Just hauling it about 150 miles from MO to OK but usually have to take a 10 hour break with the load. What would yall set it at? Or am I over thinking it.

We just had a guy get fired because he messed up on a load of chicken (shipper sets reefer and he didn't check it and it was wrong) costing the company 50k. I really don't want to be that guy.

Thanks.

 

35 deg should be good on cycle sentry there will be a temp range set in micro processor, the temp range can be adjusted either a norrower or wider range. i pull t/k reefer and it has a 5 deg variation. i wouldn't worry to much with cheese now produce is much more sensitive to temp variations. run produce on continuous always, and inspect produce for freezing damage and pulp every pallet and write pulp temps down. a little off topic but pertains to reefer as well.

 

I'd run on continuous... it's the cycling setting that it's causing your temp variations.

 

You are now, a higher authority has spoken, if you have it in reproducible form. I used to take pictures of some of my Qualcomm exchanges, just in case.

 

Jason, I pull walmart trailers so I'm not sure I want to mess with it too much but good to know when I move on to a better company.

gpsman, it was a face to face conversation. unfortinately our office staff is not set up with their own accounts so I can't send a question to a specific person. I can only send a freeform and some of our office staff doesn't even know what a reefer is so it would be a toss up who would answer it and what they would say.

Thanks for the responses guys.

 

Cheese is FINE at 35 cycle--the fluctuation on the readout is interior box ambient temp--which basically tells the unit when to start and stop(oversimplified)it doesnt mean the product actual temp is fluctuating that much......Cheese is a fairly easy load and requires VERY little...as with most dairy products

 

Chewy,
What Olhand told you is what I would have told you had I read this thread from the get go. The only other thing I might add is that if you load a load for a short duration haul simply put the unit on continuous so your temp will be or close to where it should be at destination! Yes it may burn a little more fuel in the process
but its better than a claim against the load!

 

all my cheese loads are 35 cont

 

Thanks for all the advice guys. I don't worry about reefer fuel cause walmart pays for it. I'm a company driver for England so all I have to do is keep the dirty side down and watch my 6.

On Cont. it just seemed like it was just gunna keep dropping so i changed it to cycle. Still learning and just gotta see how things work.

 

If the load has a recorder placed at a "bad spot", some cycle sentry settings may get you into trouble. The good thing about continuous is it prevents (or greatly reduces) "hot spots" and maintains a much more constant and steady temp front to back, side to side, and top to bottom. While it's true the actual product temp won't vary as much as the readout says (if any), long periods of no interior circulation can cause minor temp swings, more so in some areas of the interior then in others, especially near the rear of the trailer where most recorders are placed.