How the heck do you put up with this? Reefer and sitting.

Just have to deal with it. I just lay down and take a nap or listen to the XM.

I sat more pulling hopper bottom than with a reefer. As was posted earlier private fleet is definitely the way to go. Detention and sitting is part of what you sign up for no matter what the trailer.

 

I could never deal with truck load otr,

 

I could never deal with truck load OTR reefer stuff, by the time I get all the small places delivered through out the day I’m ready for a nap at one of the DCs anyway. Out and back that’s it

 

I’ve sat more doing haz stuff in roll of cans and dump trailers then I ever have for a reefer, 2 days in Ohio because the crew through their Dunkin’ Donuts trash in the can and “it wasn’t on the manifest so they had to figure out what it was”

never mind all the times sleeping at a gate at the landfill with a load of sludge on all day, just to get “oh #### it’s 250 we have to get these trucks dumped so we can get out of here”

 

Wakefern in Keasby was all you had to say. Them and the UNFI in Montgomery, NY seemed to be the kings of "Just show up and start a split." I would pretty much hit the sleeper as soon as that trailer grabber bar came up, and let them knock on the sleeper when they're done. I also had a Steam Deck for when I was waiting a ton, but wasn't tired enough to sleep.

SpartanNash currently is the champion for me personally of wasted time and ruined load plans. I don't remember which SPN Distribution center it was, but it had me held up for almost 21 hours in a door because "night shift didn't show up." Which ruined my load plan because I also had Walmart and Gordon Food Services on that load, and both of those places charge insane lumper fees for work-ins.​

 

I've been to several SPN in Virginia and North Carolina....it's just something about the southeast where they take their sweet time ....but one in Virginia when I was with WEL companies was pretty quick during the COVID days .

 

Yes, there is a lot of truth. What the original poster said and wait until you get a load with five or six deliveries all of them to some of the worst DC in the country one after another. Driving 600+ miles a day seems like a walk in the park after going through that two or three days straight. At all different hours.It’ll test your limits. How do I know? That’s what I just got done with. Definitely ranks in the top three for most tired I’ve been since trucking and barely drove miles 1/2 the weeks it’s all related to dealing with deliveries at all hours and going into these places that I can only describe are an absolute circus, chaotic and completely disorganized. You surrounded by other frustrated and often incompetent drivers and it’s a miracle if you get out of there without someone smashing into your equipment. And yes, what else the original poster mentioned they often knock boxes over and damage them and then they just throw them on your truck and you have to deal with it. If that’s not enough you get to pay $300-$500 In lumper fees for this lovely experience at each stop.

Fun times. Luckily I don’t get loads like this often.

 

Only with a friend or wife. But I have no friends and I have a wife