Reefers, are the a big headache or good to drive?

Checking the Roehl web site and reefer pays .02 more per mile.

 

I'm considering reefer cause it does pay .02 cents more.

One more question though, do you have to deal with washing the reefer on the inside often? I assume it can get messy and smelly after a while since you mianly transport frozen food afterall???

 

One piece of advice for all new drivers about pulling a reefer--since most of you are going to be company drivers and probably for one of the larger companies--DO NOT pay any attention to most of the so called horror stories you hear--There is a major difference between--running produce(which is most of the stories you hear about--although typically from someone else who has no clue)and running a refrigerated commodity.
For the most part--all the major companies (that also haul refrigerated freight)it is virtually no different than hauling dry freight--other than you have to check your temp and remember to fuel. As has been stated in so many other posts--the newer reefers require VERY little effort--also--the commodities that do require effort--you aren't going to worry with. Another big plus for you in my mind--is the big companies I see use their reefers for all general commodities--which of course gives you/them more options--remember you can put dry freight on a reefer--but you can't put refrigerated freight on a dry van.
Also--from what I have seen--the way the major carriers spec their equptment--weight is also not as much of an issue--while you may load heavy(which you may w/dry freight also)--the large carriers all seem to be be specing lighter weight trucks and trailers--thus making the weight weight issues pretty much the same dry vs reefer.
Of course there are variables--BUT--I am generalizing here--I'm really telling you to take a lot of what you hear with a grain of salt.
and in case you are wondering I HAVE NEVER pulled a trailer w/out a motor on the front--and I've done this for a day or so. IMHO what a new driver for a large company is going to do pulling a reefer is no different(for the most part)than what you would do hauling dry freight and with little or no more effort.
I've spoken with MANY drivers over the years(new and old) who when they find out what I DO--tell me they would never do it--or I'm nuts etc(and usually go into a diatribe about the time they had to--add your own anecdote here)--it is apples and oranges.
What I(and many small O/Os do) is very specialized work it is not for everybody--and other than the occasional drop at a larger DC--I only come into contact with the larger type carriers @T/S.
Just my$.02~

 

It did it for a while and most of it wasn't that bad. In fact a lot of my reefers were drop and hook.

 

I loved reefers so much I went out and bought my own years ago and made good money with it....

To the OP if you live in MA I would go with Roehl for sure reason being most of those midwest drivers (not all) don't want to run east thus more freight for those who will....

Any of you old enough to remember the old Bud Meyer Truck Lines in Lake City, MN ?? I made a #### good living leased on with Bud running east because nobody wanted the east coast freight so there was plenty and it paid good..

reefers aren't hard you just have to pay attention to temp and fuel..

 

As I remember alot of guys made good money working for Bud--until he turned his back one days and the kids sold him out!

 

yes sir, Russell took over and sold out to Covenant I got out just before the sale as they were going down hill fast...

 

Glad you did--course as we heard it (@the old hangout in New Lisbon--4 it burned down) was the old man was in Fl fishin # time and when he got back went nuts!! Maybe just a rumor--but wouldn't have surprised me--either way it was a #### shame--not to mention the first thing Covenant did was slash rates on existing good paying accounts--which ########## up everyone else!~

 

Covenant ran it into the ground quick, the first thing to go was the 379's which was a shame because they were nicer than a lot of O/O trucks that were on the road at that time...

A good freind of mine that lives outside "The Cities" tells me Russell started up another company in either southern WI or northern IL I can't remember which.....