Reefer division

Might take a little getting used to sleeping with the reefer on. Sometimes you have to wait on product. ie... produce hasn't been picked yet, meat hasn't been inspected yet etc...

 

Waited on New Year's eve for 16 hrs on TWO (2) pallets of hamburger patties in Colorado one time. YIKES!!!

 

Pros and cons:: Pros are 2 types of loads on the reefer, dry and refrigerated! Reefer engines can take a licking and abuse because a lot of drivers don't even know how to open the doors to the engines much less know where the dip stick is or how to check the coolants or how to start it after it runs out of fuel because they didn't know they had to fuel them or that -20* burns more fuel than +20*! The engine noise is no worse than being parked when super trucker with his 10" straight pipes parks next to you and idles! Now that's noise on an insane level! Or that Rig Master vibrator! Even worse! Not to mention the air dryer that kickes on every 20 seconds with the small dump valve and keeps you awake all night wanting to go cut the power to it!

Yes those extra picks and drops are a PITA but the extra money for extra stops is nice! I ALWAYS call the shipper to verify what I was told by dispatch! I've had my day with bad information! Cell phones make life easier and if dispatch doesn't want you to call then they can go pick up the load themselves and I've told them this! Especially if there is no pay to sit! If I'm told not to call you can bet I'll be on my laptop getting phone numbers for shippers and receivers! I don't play games any more. It's ME doing all the sheet work so those sitting in a nice cool office can pretty much KMA! It's gotten to where we have to CYA and verify information as almost half the information I got from that Bottom Feeder in Mt. Vernon MO (my last job) was bad! Thank god I made my own calls to get good information!

If you're afraid to take your life in your own hands then you're in the wrong business! These idiots that call themselves dispatchers and what is the term, load coordinators who couldn't find their own arse in a paper bag are giving you information that isn't worth the electricity to send or cost of that cell has become BS! It's your TIME they are wasting because they wanted you sitting at a shipper out in the middle of BFE when they don't start to load until a certain time is also BS! It's my 14 hours and because they are so stupid it's also their 14 and shouldn't be wasted because they can't calculate miles vs distance? Gimmie a break!

As for the pros and cons... I've done both and sat at grocery whses on both dry and reefer loads! And that's on both ends of the load! This BS that reefer takes longer can be just that! If you're going to do meat yes, if that company can't have a few extra trailers sitting to get loaded for you, you will sit and getting unloaded and can cost the same the same for lumping dry and reefer!
Me, I'll take that reefer over a dry van anytime just for the chance of getting loaded over "there are no 'dry' or 'reefer' loads at this time!" Theres always one or the other!

 

Rollover has a very good point, especially for you newbies. You must be proactive for yourself! That is the only way you are going to make your golden miles. Always try to stay AT LEAST one load ahead of yourself! When you are getting loaded dispatch should get a call from you letting them know EXACTLY when you are going to be there and what time you are going to arrive at the NEXT shipper. Like Rollover said you yourself should stay in communication with the shippers and receivers. Most companies like that, but you also need to be very professional with those people, keep in mind those are your companies customers. Customers will also ASK for you if you are very professional in the way you go about bidness.