Currently pulling dry van.. I’m wondering what about Refrigerated

Florida brokers are just brokers who have Florida freight. That'd be all of them. I don't know a broker out there who can't get you a decent load IN to Florida. As for getting out if there are secrets to be known the people with that info aren't going to post it here for you.

Getting started is the only way you'll learn.

 

Good paying loads going into Florida on a reefer that pay well enough to deadhead out are relatively easy to book almost all year long. I wish him luck trying to do that with a van, never mind doing it consistently. I've done both in the past 10 years. Hands down reefer is the better money and it's not even close.

 

What’s your sanity worth? I’d rather stick needles in my eyes than pull a reefer on the spot market again.

 

Not to worry, Walmart will take anything, or so it seems. Reefer may pay better initially, if everything goes well, "that load is 2 degrees too warm", or, "we didn't order that", or my favorite, "back it against the fence, we'll be right with you"( as the reefer tank empties, and you don't dare leave) Unless the roof leaks, you can't hurt a load of axx-wipe,,,

 

If you are pulling reefer and don't fill that tank before going to every shipper and receiver, then you are wrong. The wrong temperature problems are generally caused by people not paying attention to BOL temp requirements.

When a load says "maintain 34 degrees" it should be set for 34 continuous, for example. If the load says maintain 30-40 degrees, then setting the reefer for 35 start/stop is fine.

I see this foolishness all the time when I repower loads. I document the error every time to dispatch as soon as I see the improper setting, and fix it.

Reefer is more complex than dry van, and requires just a little bit of thought every now and then, so it's not for everyone.

 

Yesterday I pre-booked an easy 1&1 reefer load that picks up this Saturday out of Florida going to Louisville, KY for delivery on Monday morning. Just for fun I looked at posted van rates pre-booking like that and this load is paying anywhere from $1.19 to a $1.49 a mile more than similar van loads were (except they went to what are normally terrible reload areas) and it's not even produce season down there yet. I had planned on just deadheading home to middle Tennessee but instead will end up deadheading further south into Florida another 180 miles to grab this bonus load up.

You'll never see a van load like that outside of produce season down there. You might catch somebody in a bind once in a while. If you have a reefer you made your money going home and can deadhead out to Atlanta or farther if need be. With a van you're going to eat a steady diet of $1 a mile freight out from the house to keep that truck profitable. Lots of people do it but I would gladly take any reefer madness over always having to haul heavy ### loads of beer or sugar out of Florida for fuel money.

 

Okay, to be clear, these days, I wouldn't drag either one, but the OP wanted to know. If I was to do it today, I'd go with a flatbed, and I never thought I'd say that.

 

Was it so bad? It is not about comfort but money, right? How's the money with a dry van vs. reefer? I'd expect at least 25% more with reefer on the spot market or dedicated. If not...then, indeed, what's the point of extra hussle?