Do you OTR reefer guys really make a good living?

Discussion in 'Refrigerated Trucking Forum' started by Rockdoctor, Nov 20, 2018.

  1. x1Heavy

    x1Heavy Road Train Member

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    Yea and people slave a month in want fries with that to make maybe half that.
     
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  3. ObeySteezy

    ObeySteezy Bobtail Member

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    Steve what part of northern cali are u ?
    im planning to buy my truck and reefer and only doing cali
     
  4. SteveScott

    SteveScott Road Train Member

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    I'm in Sonoma County just north of the Bay area, but I bought my truck and trailer in Phoenix. It's slim pickins for new equipment out here.
     
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  5. Dave_in_AZ

    Dave_in_AZ Road Train Member

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    9 month wait at Freightliner for a new Cascadia.
     
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  6. ObeySteezy

    ObeySteezy Bobtail Member

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    so your loading up within a 120 mile radius from sonoma county uh ?
     
  7. Rockdoctor

    Rockdoctor Medium Load Member

    Yes well that's definitely their choice if they want to work a month for $1500. But I think a lot of us got into this industry because we want better than that.

    This reefer gig looks interesting. My wife and I both drive and the next time the oilfield takes a huge downturn, I don't think we will be coming back so looking at other options.
     
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  8. Rockdoctor

    Rockdoctor Medium Load Member

    I know what I meant to ask, why are you waiting such long hours and what does a typical wait look like at your loading and offloading stops? Does it take more time to offload reefer than typical dry van??

    Also are you being compensated while you wait? In the oilfield we use to get compensated quite well but after the last downturn the producers have gotten more stingy with stuff like demurrage.
     
  9. Dave_in_AZ

    Dave_in_AZ Road Train Member

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    The wait times in the reefer game are cruel but not unusual.

    There's a place in San Antonio called H.E.B.. Those people should be put on trial for crimes against humanity.
     
  10. SteveScott

    SteveScott Road Train Member

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    Usually yes. But there is a lot within that radius.

    Food distribution centers are notorious for using very slow and expensive lumpers to unload trailers. They also want deliveries in the middle of the night. Growers can make trucks wait for 10 hours or more as crops are picked and chilled before loading into reefers. Company drivers typically do the food centers and O/O's do the fresh produce loads. Some get paid detention, many don't.
     
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  11. SteveScott

    SteveScott Road Train Member

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    It's the same for KW and PB. Everybody is lagging right now which is why I ended up getting a pre-ordered KW truck from a dealer. It wasn't exactly what I would have spec'd myself, but it's close enough, and I got it in 3 months.
     
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