Reefer Ice Cream Loads

If you're nervous and have the time, sit for an hour at the place you loaded it to see how well the until maintains. That way if there are unit issues, you can back right back in instead of having a cargo claim. But I doubt you'll have any problems.

You arent sitting in Madison Wis at Schoeps are ya?

 

Nothing wrong with ice cream. More expensive when the weather is warmer. If you haul out west(high elevations)follow routeing if it's coated. If you need to plug the the drains the unit/trailer is in need of serious work.

 

Read the weather report on the route. I know mine will pull an 80º drop without issue, and I still will avoid ice cream loads unless it will be <50º outside and preferably overcast. I had a broker sneak a couple pallets of ice cream at the last stop of a multiple pickup once (other cargo was just regular frozen stuff @ -10º) and it was accepted with no issues. Temps were no higher than 60º and it was overcast/raining the whole trip.

Cargo volume makes a huge difference too. A full TL pre-cooled will buy you a lot of leeway versus a lighter load. Saved our bacon on a reefer breakdown a while back.

 

Pluging the drain holes has nothing to do with how well the unit/trailer is.

 

If you're plugging them for better cooling there is a problem. You have 3000+ cubic feet of trailer,the unit puts out over 3000 CFM and a few square inches of opening. A two year old trailer will leak more than that from the doors.

 

I always plug my drains on frozen loads too. I am very leery of hauling ice cream in the summer time. My trailer is a little older and trying to maintain 120 degree temp difference in the summer in Texas worries me. I have and will haul it in the winter and have had no issues.

 

So explain to an old machinery hauler that knows nothing about plugging vents and reefer trailers in general why it is bad to plug the vents.