Has anyone ever ...

Sounds like whatever was in that trailer leaked out and is now an inhalation hazard. Definitely keep your distance. Chemicals are no joke and can kill easily. I'd be tempted to call the fire department.

 

A sweet smell indicates refridgerant. You have a leak somewhere. Same thing happened a few years ago, though I was being unloaded and then reported it to company. Routed me to near by yard. Dropped it and got another and kept rolling.

 

then i'd surmise, the hazmat truck will be called out, the city roped off, and NASA called in...

 

Yes, you always check the windsock somewhere on the cold storage property when you pull in to deliver. That way when the Ammonia alarm goes off, you know where to run into the wind. It's worth your life.

There are many things that can kill a strapping man on just a few breaths. Poof. That's curtains for you. Ammonia would be one of these.

 

Yes, a handful of times. I remember one at the Tyson meat plant in Seguin, TX. I opened the trailer to put in my load locks, and the air coming out of it was very, very strong. I couldn’t handle breathing it. I asked the guard, and he said it’s something they spray on the product. I imagine it’s to quickly freeze the product. Who knows.

 

I am not sure what kind of meat it was.

Now that I am thinking about it more, I notice they were all loaded trailers.