Always have a recorder when pulling reefer.

This was my first thought as well. Of course it is lovely to have 100% hindsight. But sometimes if you see you are getting screwed, it can be better to try to mitigate the loss right then and there.

 

The reefer shows temperature to be between 55F and 58F on cycle.

The product was pulped this morning and showed 64F however the reefer is showing temperature to be at 55F.

From what I can understand is that my reefer is off by 9F. According to the mechanic that's next to impossible.

I'm going to run the reefer all night and see what temperature it shows during the next 24 hrs.

Just spoke to the insurance company, they are sending the inspector to look at the load.

The product is rotting and has peach fuzz on it. According to everyone I spoke with there is no way that the product can spoil that bad in 42 hours even if the reefer was off by 9F.

Will keep everyone posted.


To all that have posted so far I would like to thank all for not busting my balls.

 

Every tomato load I've ever hauled was set for anywhere from 50 to about 56. All depends on where they buyer want is. I've never ever hauled tomatos at 35.

 

Personaly, I doubt your reefer is off by 9 degrees. Tomatos give off heat untill properly cooled, so they will constantly warm your trailer untill they the reefer temp and product temp equal out. I think you are getting hosed. BTW, I think running the reefer in continuous helps cool warm produce better than cycle/start/stop. And as said, that $8 pulp thermometer is the best insurance there is, if you write the pulp temp on the bills. Good luck man.

 

would not have been hind site to me once they said receiving this was a no-go would have called broker for directions to get it off the wagon.......then put broker, shipper and receiver in the blacklist book and move on......where else would you be able to get rid of it ? the days are ticking off with no revenue and you will probably will now have to pay to get rid of it and file a claim to insurance

 

Thanks! I just had another look at the recorder information.
It shows temperature at 66F when loaded. During the next 27 hours the temperature fluctuates +/- 1degree. Then at the 30hr mark the temperature is down to 64F. At the 40hr mark it has come down to 61F.

This reefer we just installed a brand new compressor, evaporator, and a couple of other components. This same reefer took a -15F load down to Miami no problems.


During the summer when the temperature was around 100F + the reefer brought the temperature down to -18F.
Variance between the inlet and outlet tempearture is 17F, normal is around the 15F mark.
Therefore the reefer is a strong unit.

What a headache.

 

I met this driver a few years ago that had a thermostat put in the door of the trailer and one in the nose beside the glad hands. They were round with the cable tip that was mounted just above the kick board of the inside of the walls. He didn't have to open the inspection doors and stick his pulp in as that does let in heat and can sometimes show on a recorder. It was nice as all he had top do was walk by and look. No standing there in the rain waiting for the pulp to get to temp!

To that guy that asked about thermometers is yes we do carry them. They are speciality types ike a HAVC mechanic uses. We can buy either a round analog type or a digital type which I like as they are faster and you don't have to have a little 3/8" wrench to adjust it all the time when you go in to check that it's set correctly.
What do I mean check and adjust you ask. Well the mechanical analog type can slide a little so that when you put it in a glass of 50/50 ice and water when it should show 32* it shows say 40* so you have to use the wrench and hold the top and turn the nut and move the needle to 32* and check it again. With a digital you just dip the thing in the 50/50 glass and it should show 32* IDK if there is any way with the $15 ones to reset the temps and not even the ones I buy at ThermoKing do but they are more accurate and faster than the analog ones.

As for setting the unit on start stop with produce I would highly recommend not using that setting. I have seen several loads of leafy produce and strawberries mushed from getting to cold when the unit starts out of hibernation. Run continuous for produce and start stop on meats and such but Ice Cream stays on continuous and at -20* or you'll be buying and eating a lot of EYE SCREAM!

Me and several other drivers had also not really noticed a fuel savings when using start stop with colder temp settings. Has anyone else noticed that? Now I have to admit it's been just over a year since I've been able to drive and newer technology might prove me wrong but I gave up the starting and stopping as it did seem to use more fuel and was irritating when sleeping!

One other tip; What if your trailer has no inspection door to pulp the load with? Simple. where the two doors come together at the bottom slide the thermometer up into the trailer there. Hey, it works and you're covering your arse! As Gunny Highway put it. Improvise, adapt and overcome!

 

Rollover, you might be confusing some newbs when you say pulp temp to mean just checking the trailer temp. To me, getting a pulp temp means sticking your thermometer into the produce itself, turkeybaster style. The gauges you speak of on the outside doors are cute. I think the originated back before we had digital led readouts.

 

I know same with me but some companies call checking the box temp pulping the load while in transit. I never understood it either as I owned mine before I sold and went company and pulled theirs and was told to "pulp" everyday and when I did my check call I'd give them my last night and this morning "pulp temps." Go figure!
Yeah they might have but I never saw any but his and I thought it was a grerat idea! Heck even a round "plug" type of fitting on the door or side that you could stick the thermometer throught would be better than opening the inspection door!

I also would write in that whiteboard ink that wipes off on the inside of the door when I needed to open it to air the trailer out I'd write on it "I know it's open" as every one I passed would come on the CB and tell me it was open! That gets old fast!

 

"I know it's open"....Like like it, hahahhaha Lol