Question regarding Reefers

It didn't have it or you just couldn't see it?

Did it have CA skirts on it? Possibly hiding it?

 

All reefer trailers have their own fuel supply. A tank separate from the tractor. There are several reasons for this: First, if you're a lease operator or O/O and it's drawing fuel for your fuel tank, how do you get reimbursed?
Reefer fuel is not subject to road tax. When you fuel up, the CRT display will ask you TRACTOR, REEFER, BOTH. Then you fuel your tractor, hang up the hose, pull forward and fill the reefer. It transacts two different transactions. You then apply to the proper authority to get a credit for the tax on that fuel purchase. (this is a credit against all the road tax you're sending each state anyway)
Lastly, it's not uncommon for reefer trailers to be left at a shipper where they will load it, set the temp, then stage it in their yard for you to come pick up. It has to have it's own fuel supply to do this.
In answer to your last question, no...the driver does not control the fuel flow to the engine running the compressor. This is all controled by the settings for the unit on the control panel. Temperature, contineous run or cycle run, etc.
As a driver, you simply keep the tank filled, set and monitor the unit according to your customer's requirements on the BOL.

 

But make sure you turn it off before fueling it...otherwise you may spend some serious time re-priming the reefer engine. Learned that one the hard way.