Destination Excellence???

I can't say all reefer is bad. But I started pulling reefer in June 1993. Made it to April 1994. Yep, about 10 months. Lumpers, dock fees, gate fees, grocery warehouses, etc. Getting cussed at by receiver for the privilege of paying 200 bucks to have their stuff unloaded. Having them file a shortage claim on a load I picked up preloaded and sealed, and act like I stole the items and took them home myself. Yep. Reefer was a laugh a minute. Lol. Quit reefer, went back to flatbed and never missed reefer for a second. Tarping in -11 windy weather in Oakes, ND is better than reefer. At least tarping is over pretty soon. The pains of reefer just keep coming and coming.

 

I don't mind reefers; did it most of my career. The tight schedules were kind of an adrenalin rush for me. I'd rather haul frozen food than produce though; less chance of receivers trying to rip me off. I don't sleep much anyway, so those long haul reefer runs are a good fit for me.
Schuster hauls ice cream and is the largest ice cream hauler in the USA from my understanding.

 

I just had to speak up...yeah there are some things about reefer haulin that are unique to reefer haulin. They got odd appt times and everything else the other fellers said. But frankly it's not all that bad runnin at night. I almost always avoided the logjams at the truck stops when everyone else quits for the day. I can probably count on two hands how many times I had to wait for a shower. And the sound of the reefer bangin away behind me kept me from gettin woke up by the jackholes blowin thru the truck stop with full on jakes. Every segment of trucking has its own peccadillos man...and none of em are perfect. The outfit I hauled the most reefer for was outta Green Bay and I got to pick my own loads and tell em when I was goin home n for how long. Best bunch I ever worked for. anyways just wanted to throw my couple pennies in defending my segment. And yeah while there are plenty of slobs runnin reefer there's still plenty of pride in it as well, that parts up to you. Always on time, always clean, always equipment clean and up to snuff....it sounds easy but I'm still proud of it.

 

Night driving is great as far as I'm concerned. Elogs don't make it possible all the time, but usually could schedule night driving with reefers. Late night driving & listening to xm radio & sipping hot coffee & watching the owner-operator reefer drivers fly by with all the chicken lights looking good.

 

Well yah forgot to mention I'm always on paper logs. Makes it super easy to....well you know.

 

@MattaCracker , i drove for tmc for 6 months, after i found my Dispatcher lying to me on availible loads, i fired him, got a good dispatcher after him, but he was pushing me to be a trainer so i left. Im still in flatbed with a small company out of westrn ohio. Also had a 2 month stint doing dry van for a small owner op out of elizabethtown ky. Worst mistake i made. I do not have the patience for it. I like My flatbed work.

My dad drives reefer, does nothing but complain.

 

Going from flatbed to reefer seems to be taking your career backwards.

 

How many of your receivers in flat bed sit behind 1 inch thick plexi glass .. It's a common sight in the reefer business to keep drivers away from shippers