Dry van vs reefer

In general.. more flexibility in load choice as you can often haul dry freight in a reefer.

 

It’ll depend on who you sign up with. There’s good and bad companies, then you can have bad accounts within a good company.

 

You'll make more money pulling reefers.
Runs are usually longer also. For example, Freymiller runs average over a thousand miles.
I did reefers for 18 years and really liked it. Lots of night driving which makes it more peaceful on the road on those long cross country runs.
.

 

More miles and steady work. During slow freight times, reefer drivers keep moving.
Can also haul dry van freight in a reefer trailer. For example, one trip I hauled refrigerated freight to California then picked up a load of canned beans (canned goods) to El Paso, Texas.
Quickest load out of there was ceramic tile to Jacksonville, Florida.
As a company driver it all pays the same, so I don't have to even think about freight rates; that's the company issue. They made a profit on all of it and I had a big fat paycheck.

 

Another trip I remember; delivered in Miami.
Dispatch sent me to the Everglades for a load of produce going to Kroger in Ohio.
Unloaded; dispatch said go to nearest truckdstop and give me a call.
Went to truck stop, fueled the truck, called dispatch.
She asked, "Do you have hazmat endorsement?"
"Yes I do."
OK, not far from the truck stop is a load of paint going to Los Angeles, California.
Delivered in Los Angeles, then picked up load of newspaper advertisements with about 7 stops to various newspaper printing companies along the coast of California. Super easy load and got paid extra for each stop.
Next load was a long run from California back to the East Coast. Can't remember what is was, but it was refrigerated, maybe a frozen load.
Loved that reefer trucking.

 

Pro's to reefer hauling in the summer you'll get lots more work hauling ice cream, if it gets to hot in the cab you can always go in the back of the reefer to cool off. Cons trying to sleep while the reefer is running, Cons:.You won't be to popular when you park next to someone that does not want to listen to a reefer running all night.

 

Company or O/O?

 

Schuster hauls lots of ice cream out of Le Mars, Iowa.
Blue Bunny Ice Cream
A few drivers on this forum went there out of cdl school.
I see their trucks here in Las Vegas.
I think new grads right out of school start at .51 cpm plus accessorial pays.
`
Schuster Trucking Company – Drive for Schuster
driveforschuster.com

 

Lots and lots of hurry up and wait at food DC's