Why does my reefer have to be at -10?

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by Plsdontflip, Jan 19, 2022.

  1. lilillill

    lilillill Sarcasm... it's not just for breakfast

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    Seafood is one of the things you better follow the letter of the law on temperature. It will get rejected in a heartbeat for any temperature deviation outside of specs. Claims can be unbelievably expensive.

    I had Harris Teeter reject a load once because the shipper used the wrong brand of temperature monitor in the load. They wouldn't take it even after offering to have the temperature data downloaded from my unit. Had to return it to the shipper.
     
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  3. goga

    goga Heavy Load Member

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    Average 15 gallons a day continues running, +/-, if that matters. Newer units take less than that.
     
  4. lilillill

    lilillill Sarcasm... it's not just for breakfast

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    Some things, like frozen vegetables, can get ice crystals from leaching moisture if they aren't kept at a low enough temperature.

    Sure, they'll freeze at +5°, but the bag will be full of snow when you open it.
     
    gentleroger and Wasted Thyme Thank this.
  5. goga

    goga Heavy Load Member

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    Double and even triple ^^^^^^ that)
    If I didn't run 70+ mph against the wind most of the way getting below 6mpg to save log hrs and deliver on time, I wouldn't do the loads I had this week and the amount they paid. Let alone reefer fuel, let alone idling to keep it warm.. Heck, I run reefer even if there is a dry load in the box or even empty when it is freezing.
     
    lilillill Thanks this.
  6. Mike250rs

    Mike250rs Heavy Load Member

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    The colder the temp, the slower bacteria and such grow. That results in longer self life.

    If it is set too cold like -30, then freezer burn can occur and show when the product is moved to warmer freezers ( around 20ish*) at the store.

    That o/o will end up buying a load of nuggets and/or be held liable for any sickness due to not maintaining proper cold chain compliance procedures he signed off on. Ecoli is soo yummy..
     
    dunchues Thanks this.
  7. buzzarddriver

    buzzarddriver Road Train Member

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    And just for an example.
    Recently i bought a Stouffer frozen meal. A plastic tray with two compartments. Meat patty with gravy on one side and macaroni/cheese on the other side.
    Got it out of the freezer section of the local grocery store. 15 minutes to home and back into my freezer. A few days later, time to eat it.
    Opened the box and noticed all of the gravy mix was on top of the mac/cheese. The meat patty was sitting dry up against the side of the tray. I could see the gravy had seeped through the small indention between the two compartments.
    Obviously, at some point in the transit of this product from the Stouffer plant to the grocery store, it had thawed enough to where the gravy could run through the slot. And it would have had to been above freezing for a while to thaw out that much. Then it had been re-frozen.
    I couldn't tell until i opened the box, so how many other meals in that same shipment were also in that condition??
    Certainly didn't eat it. $2.50 into the trash.
    I emailed Stouffer to their CS and they apologized, and said they take seriously the transportation of their product. I gave the codes on the end of the box in my email. They would track the box. Sent me $10 in coupons in the snail mail. Never received any other communication from them.
    Some trucker saving reefer fuel or it broke down enroute and took a while to get it fixed? Or sat on a dock somewhere, long enough to thaw.
     
  8. lilillill

    lilillill Sarcasm... it's not just for breakfast

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    I noticed that a lot with Stouffer's meals, that's why I quit buying them. I was opening the boxes in the store to check them, but after so many were evidently unfrozen and then refrozen, I just quit.
     
  9. SteveScott

    SteveScott Road Train Member

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    A couple years ago I picked up a dry load from an Asian food wholesaler in NorCal and delivered it in Seattle 2 days later. I had a reefer, but since it was booked as a dry load, no need to turn it on. They didn't want me watching them load, and it wasn't that heavy so I wasn't that worried about it. Got to the receiver in Seattle and watched them unload. I immediately noticed water running down the floor. As they pulled pallets off, the 6 pallets in the middle of the load were all wet. Then I realized what they did. They hid 6 pallets of frozen seafood in the middle of the load in an effort to save money because they didn't want to pay reefer rates. There were cases of all kinds of frozen seafood that was half thawed, and you just know this stuff was going to wind up and local restaurants. I asked the receiver about it, and they said they do it all of the time and it was no problem. I called the county health department and reported them. I hope they shut them down. That kind of stuff can kill people.
     
  10. Drunk Trucker

    Drunk Trucker Bobtail Member

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    Needs to be much lower than freezing to prevent bacteria growth. House freezer is 0.
     
    Plsdontflip Thanks this.
  11. Snailexpress

    Snailexpress Road Train Member

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    Infrared thermometer will show box surface temperature. You can handle dry ice (-109F) in brown bag without frostbite.
     
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