Reefer/Trailer Suggestions

If you plan on going to the commie coast it will have to be a recent unit, just for emissions. My personal feeling is I don't want a unit with 15k hours or more, but that's just me. If you ran it 24/7 you would total 168 hours a week, which isnt likely to happen. Most operations figure on a trailer floor life of 7 years, whatever that's worth. Some people say the insulation in some brands will absorb moisture over time, thereby becoming increasingly heavy. Guess it comes to down to who or what you choose to believe. I'm sure somebody will tell me how I'm wrong...

 

if u do frozen in south go for gd it will keep it cool. I bought 07 huindai w/tk wsprer from extra lease in February and happy but quality is not a gd or utility but will do

 

No kidding about 15k or more hours. Earlier this year I bought a trailer that was less than a year old. Had the powerful TK engine, side skirts, chrome plated front and back, it looked nice, minus the corner in the front that was crooked and sealed since someone hit something. I noticed I spent a lot of money on repairs. I never assumed anything because I trusted the guy I got the trailer from. Anyways this trailer was used as storage units at places like Costco, Walmart, and so on. This means this trailer was literally running 24/7 for ALMOST a year. O Rings were bad, so many more things. It had too many hours on it. I was stuck without a trailer, and went to buy a brand new one but was told I have to get on a waiting list. Not sure what was going on, but I needed a trailer. Looked at hours, and got a beat up LOOKING trailer from Marten, that's a 2010-2011 I think, but low hours. To knock on wood, I haven't had a single problem with it. It looks scratched up on the outside but new on the inside. Works like a charm. You are 100% right about the unit hours.

 

Kinda loaded question what you hauling heavy/light what's main load going to be frozen/fresh do you plan on doing LTL a lot. How long do you plan on keeping the trailer? Long term Great dane hands down little heavier but built to last. Light weight short term Utility or Wabash or others made. Do you care if its a 48 a 50 or 53 footer some places do and some don't care on length. Lots of different floors for different products flowers/bulk potatoes they like flatfloors better, grooved knurled floor works good for frozen less slip list goes on or do you plan on general reefer then get cheap big fleet trailer with middle of road unit size. As far as unit hours all depends if taken care of seen some that where new breaking down within 250hrs and some with 25000hrs on them run with no problems. Get one you like and if you take any pride in your equipment and service you will take care of it. If its just a tool might as well get one with warranty at least then it wont cost as much in repairs and buy reefer breakdown insurance.

 

When my reefer trailer was in the shop for service I was talking to the mechanic. He said that with proper maintenance they should go to about 36k hours.

 

Without going into too much detail---there are lots of options--and as for unit hours---be more concerned w/Run hours than overall hours----lots of good used mega types out there--that may have hi overall hours but mostly stop/start and actual run hours much lower---if you are new at this---you would probably be better off w/a TK--but only because they have so Many more service locations---not that they won't work on Carrier--but they tend to charge more to get parts.....and if you do go checking out the mega type used(where you can find some good bargains if you are careful)try to find one that was originally set up for rail use...although while slightly heavier--they were built beefier--and typically can take a lil more of a beating...thus the popularity of the recent marten fleet turnover...I see more used marten wagons out there than any other...Good Luck