Running With Shipex

Oh no you can absolutely do it the same day. That’s kind of the norm it seemed when I did reefer and deep frozen loads at least. Unload in the wee hours of the morning before Jesus wakes up, get washed out, and reload something late that morning. With the unit running on continuous that floor will dry out in a few hours. And personally, even if it didn’t, I never had a shipper complain about it. They’re used to it and at least they know it’s clean. Refrigerated warehouses have their tricks too. If it’s too wet and the forklifts tires are spinning I’ve seen them lay down cardboard on the floor before. If they are in the temp control business and can’t get over a wet reefer floor, they’re in for a long and stressful career.

 

Ahhh, ok, Its better to have frosty floors for the frozen goods... I am too chicken to run reefer, it seems there is always a long line of trucks waiting on load/unload, at the freeze houses. Plus don't wanna be worried about the dang reefer going out.., that's as expensive as an inframe on a Freigliner, right???... Idk, if I get good pay, I am considering, but I hear some places will make you unload and break the load yourself, since they don't allow lumpers, and them frosty houses are cold as ice..lol

 

I can’t speak on the cost of a unit going down, as I’ve always been a company driver, but I could see how things could get expensive in a hurry. You’re right though, with refrigerated goods comes grocery warehouses and in most cases, that’s synonymous with long wait times. But don’t let the thought of working a load deter you. Most places don’t let drivers on the dock for insurance purposes. Just bump the dock, hang out and wait for the green light. But this is a ShipEx thread, and I don’t know how or what their customer base expects from them, that was just my experience.

 

Reefers I hauled in 2013-16, were mostly with wood and metal floors, and were very old. That was P&D with NEMF. Company driver paid by the hour, some medical warehouses, some food, but one regular was JewelOsco, and very strict on clean trailers, so that's my story with mopping the trailer and getting in trouble for it! Now I am a bob tail O/O and lease a dryvan. And the only food places I visit are food ingredient, nuts, beverage and beer ones! Nothing worst than a damaged pallet of beer in between the skids, there is like a radius of 100 feet around the trailer that stinks of beer. I tell dispatch not to find perishable load after a damaged beer or soft drink load, you know, like food ingredients, clothes, paper. So they usually find me a metal place so they don't mind the smell. I was thinking of getting a reefer cause pay is higher, but it depends. Buying my own is out the question, they are about $100K for new, and used I don't trust!

 

If I hadn't switched to pulling glass, I would pull a reefer. Reefer pay isn't much better than dry van, but the trailers seem to ride better. And other than rolled paper or high cube loads you can haul most dry van loads in a reefer trailer. Plus, with reefer, it's less affected by the economy's ups and down than other freight...I mean, people gotta eat.

 

Idk, starting to think of hauling cars again, seems it pays a lot more than the rest, but gotta find a good used carrier first and that is still up there in price! Something like 9 cars. Full load minimum $3000 gross! I hear some guys are making over $20K gross a week on the top paying loads... Just my $0.02