Advantages between Reefer & Dry Van?

There are many previous threads on that subject.

I could help look them up. But I charge 39 cents a mile/link... Hehehehee

Mikeeee

 

Yeah. You don't have a motor starting and shutting off several times 4 ft behind you while you are getting some sleep with a dry van.

But there are advantages to each. Some will say that anything you can put in a dry van can also be carried in a refer trailer, some truth to that but not always the case. Many shippers will only put their stuff in a dry box. But, the refer can obviously haul what a dry van can't. Not sure I would like to see what ice cream looks like in a dry van after a 1200 mile trip in the summer.

But, dry van has some plusses as well. For one, I will never sit at a meat packing plant for 24 hrs waiting for them to process the load for my trailer and then have to kill myself trying to make an appt for the unload. Same for produce.

It really all depends on what you want to do. There really is no correct answer to the question. Some really enjoy pulling a refer and have no desire to do dry box. The reverse is also true. In 30 years, I have never experienced a situation where it would be advantageous to me to pull a refer. I have done quite well with dry box. I have pulled a refer only a couple of times and really did not enjoy it. Depends on the customer base you have to work with.

 

I hate reefers. The people were always saying, "We don't have room for that, could you store it for 24? or, We didnt order that" I got so I'd say just sign the bill rejected and theyd say " What are you going to do? I'd say, I'll dump it. Never had that with dryvans and the best thing I pulled was a covered wagon or a bull wagon. No one ever turned down either. The mail and bull wagons get special treatment, no inspections.

 

when I pulled dry van I got stuck going to a lot of PITA recycling centers. Reefer always seems busy as people need temp-controlled food. didn't take me long to get used to the sound of the reefer running either. I drive a Cascadia and I've found they're well-insulated

as others have said, there are advantages and disadvantages to both

 

actualy the Reefer puts me to sleep...LOL i must not be normal...but dry vans were not the Hurry up and wait and most got loaded or unloaded during the daylight hours instead of 2 am... but reefer loads do pay me more than a dry load..

 

I have heard that the noise of the reefer starting and stopping becomes a point that most can get used to, I have parked between 2 reefers before and not had a ploblem, I am trying to get a job with a combo of reefer and dry box company, so I guess I will let you know what works for me. Thanks.

 

If it ain't ur fuel run it continuous u won't even notice it I pull reefer now and I don't mind it would b nice to have a new thermo king as opposed to my out dated carrier unit which is a little noisy but u really do get use to it and in new England in the winter if it's set at like 35 it'll hardly ever start unless it's set to continuous

 

If you ever even think that some day you might want to own a truck avoid dry van like the plague. I only wish someone had pointed this out to me years ago cause just closing doors and driving looked pretty good back then. I bought into all the "who wants to chain or tarp in 100* weather, or listen to a reefer all night" garbage. I took the easy, lazy way out back then. What you put into trucking is what you'll get out of it...