Extreme Heat - Reefer Market

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by Midwest Trucker, Jul 20, 2019.

  1. Midwest Trucker

    Midwest Trucker Road Train Member

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    While sitting in 103 degree heat index here in the Midwest, it made me wonder about some things.

    So there is a heat advisory all over the Midwest to east coast..

    1. Does this make the reefer demand go up or does it really matter?

    2. Do some people’s units not keep up and they have to park out of fear of a claim?

    Anything else?
     
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  3. 4wayflashers

    4wayflashers Heavy Load Member

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    The heat index dont mean jack to the freight. Neither does wind chill for that matter. Besides its always hotter in the trailer than what the mercury says. Reefer units should keep up no problem. If they break down tho then you gotta get it fixed pronto.
     
  4. Midwest Trucker

    Midwest Trucker Road Train Member

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    So, in that regard since the chance of ruining the load is increased, does that make less reefers available in the market? Therefore increasing demand more to lack of capacity then increased volume?
     
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  5. wichris

    wichris Road Train Member

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    I'm sure there are many marginal carriers that are afraid of hot weather but for most of us it doesn't matter.
     
  6. Ridgeline

    Ridgeline Road Train Member

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    I wish these media idiots and weather people would stop using heat index during their broadcast, too many people think it is the actual temp.

    It is like the winter, when they tell the "real feel" temp, no such thing. At -15 "real feel" I feel that cold different than my wife and my truck doesn't feel it at all.
     
  7. Opendeckin

    Opendeckin Medium Load Member

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    It's a common misconception that a truck is not affected by the windchill. While the truck may never get colder than 0* if that is the ambient temperature a windchill of 20* is going to increase the speed at which your equipment and it's fluids reach 0*. A bad enough windchill can cause the diesel to gel up even though the truck is running and it's only 0*.
     
  8. Ridgeline

    Ridgeline Road Train Member

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    I understand what you are getting at but I disagree because windchill as we use it has to do directly with the evaporation of moisture from the skin of a human and has nothing to do with heat transfer from or to an object. This is an agreed definition from a few organizations and is only applied to people with direct exposed skin.

    Heat exchange on object due to speed is effected by a lot of factors, not as simple as what windchill factor as it is applied to humans.
     
  9. wichris

    wichris Road Train Member

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    So a 10mph wind @ 0 is -16. Your truck is going 60 mph(60@0= -33) so i really don't see where "wind chill temps" mean anything to the truck.
     
  10. DTP

    DTP Road Train Member

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    You’ll just burn more reefer fuel than usual while the sun is out and the temps are this hot, shouldn’t affect the temp inside the box. If so, you have a bigger issue with the unit itself. Once it gets dark, temp doesn’t matter so much.
     
  11. D.Tibbitt

    D.Tibbitt Road Train Member

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    Idk bout u reefers but man it sure does suck throwing tarps in this heat
     
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