My reefer experiences.

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I'm just saying its the opposite for me. I usually get a FTL in one place and its rare I have to do multiple P/U's. I did have a screwy multiple p/u one time. I delivered a load in Bakersfield,then DH back to Madera to start a 4 place P/U that ended in Bakersfield. The load was going to the Coscto DC in SLC. One would thought I would start in Bakersfield and work my way up to Madera.

 

I allways got good miles as well when i hauled a reefer. There was never a shortage of loads.

 

Yeah people need to eat.

 

Makes it a nice, relatively stable part of the industry. Kept running well during late '08, early '09. Saw a lot of fools pulling reefers with tractors equipped with headache racks - complaining about having to work before the sun came up, LOL!

 

I pulled reefer back in '99 and 2000 mostly. I loved it. Would run cabinets out to the west coast and pull produce back. Salinas in the summer and down to El Centro or Yuma through the winter. Had one customer back in Cincinnati that took a whole load of bin lettuce from Yuma. Would usually load Thursday night into Friday morning and have to be back by Sunday late night. It was a challenge, but fun.
Worst I ever had was a load of apples I picked up in the middle of nowhere Washington. On my way back the fog was so thick coming out of Coulee City I literally could not see the front of my hood at 2 am. I was hanging my head out the drivers window to see the lines on the ground. FOund a place to pull off and wait it out.

 

The worse part of pulling Reefers is the odd hours and the out of the way places for P/U and delivering loads. The two best things about pulling a reefer is you can do a dry load or a temp controlled load. I've been lucky that I'm usually in and out in about 2 hours,except for Walmart Loads. I do look on the bright side of this. Its a good time to catch up on sleep.

 

yeah with reefer hauling u do get a good nap every now and then

 

refg hazmat loads pulled one that needed -to be kept frozen!! in drums!!! going into mexico via layover(laredo),texas

 

I haul refrigerated out to the coast and produce back. Very seldom do I do multiple picks out on the west coast, and if I do its only 2 picks. The rates on those loads that have 4-6 picks are higher, but to me time is money and Id rather get the wagon loaded and head east instead of spending 2 days getting the wagon loaded. I make 3 rounds a month, and if I would spend 2 days each trip loading that is 6 days that I'm not home or a half a trip where the truck could be moving.

Mostly deliver to Cosco, Walmart and other DCs, which I like. Fast unloading in and out. If the price is right, which it usually is not, I will do Hunts Point, Jessup or Chelsea, but it is rare.

All in all, I'm happy with pulling my reefer. Unloading has become a breeze compared to what it was 15 years ago, higher speed limits and an extra hour to drive each day make things much better. Unfortunately, with the spike in fuel prices just before Thanksgiving, many produce haulers were hit hard in the wallet just before the transitional period where things dry up in northern California and things are just getting started in southern California and Yuma and the rates drop. I''ve seen rates coming back east drop by $1000 a load over the last 2 weeks.

I fear that for many, it is gonna be a long, hard winter.

 

So there I am, in Cedarville, NJ, going to a place called Santa's Sweets. Man, I've got visions of sugarplums, dancing in my head and getting ready to get into the christmas cheer. I get there and its a tomato place. What!!!!!!! (grumbles and mutters and says) BAH HUMBUG!!!!