Refers Ok For Newbie?

reefer's are simple,don't let it discourage you. i started out with a reefer company, myself. it's just like operating the thermostat in your house.

 

I started as a newbie with a refer co also....
just newed to pay alittle closer attention to your trailer is all.....
Takes a short time to get used to sleeping with the refer running (me 3 days )...sometimes you have to wait alittle longer to load, but it found that unloading was faster as most refer loads are perishable.....plus i never had to unload..

 

Starting out as a reefer driver is just fine... expect a little longer dock times is all...

 

I just finished my first week solo after my school and training period, and I am running reefers. I like it. The MT trailer is heavier than a dry van, and behaves a bit better on the road. Mostly live loads and unloads, but by the time I get to the customer I'm usually close to out of hours or could use a nap anyway.

We also had a lot of live loads/unloads when hauling dry vans in training, and in my limited experience either can be fast or slow. Dry van or reefer, doesn't seem to matter much in that respect. Grocery warehouse personnel don't seem to have much love for drivers -- they see you as a load and only a load, and as soon as you're empty they want you out of their dock, sleeping or not. But they also comprehend the HOS problem, and are extremely unlikely to try and kick you off their property.

This, of course, is with one week's solo experience.

 

i was talking to a reefer driver the other night (shaffer) and he \mentioned a little bonus i didn't think about. he said when freight is kinda slow they will haul "dry loads" too. hmmmmmm

 

Why not? A trailer is a trailer. Just shut the reefer engine off, and you have a 'dry van'. Only difference is using a pallet jack on reefer floors sucks, but if its a forklift only load, thats great. Here in the Canadian winters, the reefers we use move regardless, just treated like a dry van.

 

it is literally IMPOSSIBLE to think too much about it. this a life changing venture you are about to undertake! r3emember the only stupid question is the one unasked.

 

Plusses of running a reefer;
1. During a recession reefers hauling food products will stay busy (everyone has to eat after all).
2. New reefer units are quieter and more reliable than older units.
3. A reefer may be used to haul dry freight as well (but the trailer is heavier than a dry van so weight may be an issue).


Minuses; Reefers are noisy and when cycling on and off during the night may wake you up (and the drivers parked beside you).
Reefers primarily service grocery warehouses. Many problems at grocery warehouses such as;
1. Delays waiting to be docked.
2. Delays waiting to unload
a. Such as freight must be broken down.
b. Freight may have to be restacked on different size pallets (to fit into older rack systems).
c. Drivers may have to unload their own truck. If you do the customer will provide you with a hand jack no power equipment will be available to you due to OSHA regs and insurance regs prohibiting non employees from using company power equipment (ex. fork lift, clamp truck, electric pallet jack, etc).
3. Some shippers will require a trailer to be "pre-cooled" prior to loading which takes more time.
4. Some reefers will stop working due to being out of fuel or weak batteries. A driver should be trained on how to siphon fuel from main truck tanks to reefer tank (in the event there is no truck stop available). Should also be trained on how to "prime" a reefer to restart it. Carrying extra long jumper cables may be a good idea.
5. Many grocery warehouses will have a lumper service on site which can be hired for a fee to unload your truck instead of you having to do it.
Lumpers will have some inside contacts with the receiving department to help "facilitate" quicker unloading so alot of times it is indeed better to pay the service to unload. If you decide to unload yourself the following may occur;
a. Floor space may be blocked or obstructed preventing you from unloading.
b. Pallets may not be readily available for restacking of freight (big wood to small wood).
c. The "checker" may be too busy to get to you right away.
d. The "relocators" (guys on double long electric jacks and fork trucks) may take their time before moving "checked and inspected" pallets to the correct racks in the warehouse.
6. Many places will have a "pallet exchange" program which requires you to trade empty pallets for the full ones you are being loaded with or at the rcving end they will return to you a like number of pallets you brought them (usually they will attempt to give you junk pallets in exchange for good pallets so be watchful).
7. Appointment times are usually very strict, and in the event you are delayed may refuse to accept the load and demand your company "re-schedule."
8. In the event you haul freshly butchered poultry you must have the reefer "washed out" prior to getting it reloaded (the poultry will leak blood all through the trailer). This may add many miles to your trip plus more time delayed before you can get another load on that trailer.
9. Must have thermometers to manually check the reefer temp in addition to "monitoring" the reefer readouts.
10. Finally you must take the time to check and fuel the reefer tank to insure it does not run out of fuel.