Frustrating, shippers insist on opening doors and sit at dock.

If asking you to jump off the rim of the Grand Canyon makes their job 0.0001% easier they expect you will do that. There are always 50 trucks to haul that load next time for less money.

 

Yeah I don’t doubt that

but asking a driver to start the reefer doesn’t seem like an outrageous request .

 

Two things come to mind on this, 1 they want know the refer works. 2 a cold storage facility more than likely has insulated bumpers surrounding the dock doors, you back in and open a trailer that is hot inside, all that heat pours into the dock. You running your refer helps to keep the temps steady on the dock.

 

We have switches that kick he reefer into low speed while the doors are open for this reason.

It keeps the air circulating like the shipper wants and doesn't burn as much fuel.

 

Reefer units either run or don’t run. Running in a dock isn’t any harder on the unit than running while you drive down the road. I guess I’d maybe begrudge the diesel fuel being burned, but really, it isn’t that much.

 

Because most shippers are somewhat stupid.

 

Precool your trailer, I drop my trailer temp as low as it will go about an hour or so before I get to the shipper, I also shut it off before I open the trailer up, have never in 30 + years of driving had a problem, they just want it precooled and clean, I like to have it washed out then frozen..Makes the forklift fun for them.