"Protect from freezing" dry van experiences.

Ever open a real cold bottle and then it freezes and sprays everywhere? We always just idled for the vibrations but what if the truck idles smooth?

 

I remember drivers putting portable heaters in the back of dry van trailers; do they still do that?

 

That's all true but here is reality ...
One bottle has to be frozen or damaged and the entire load can claimed as damaged. Just because they accept it on the dock does not mean that they won't file a cargo claim within a week or two.

Op, Water is different from processed food, what you have should be in a reefer with a temp just above freezing set in the unit.

 

I’ve ran into this same situation. Never had a problem. Really, if it were or had ever been a problem, Shipper would have a concern.

 

Yes. The overall mentality is that if there is nothing on the BOL saying "protect from freezing" and they deliberately load it on a van, you'd think you should be good without worries, even if it gets damaged. But nothing much you can do when they simply put it back on the trailer...stating on the BOL - "refused : product arrived frozen".
I think, I should be all right, if they take it tomorrow before it gets too cold, if not, I'll discuss with the broker about storing it at a local warehouse. The value of the product is about 16 grand - too little to file a claim yet too much to pay it out of the pocket. I am just assuming the worst case but hope for the best.

 

Poly use to use infrared propane heaters for the drivers 10hr breaks when they haul onions out of the NW.

 

I wouldn't say anything at the receiver. Sometimes they don't even notice.

 

I have a temperature sensor inside my reefer trailer in the top center. When my trailer is empty, I have noticed that the inside of the trailer is always warmer than the outside temperature by about 10-20 degrees. Now, a reefer trailer has insulation in the walls and is designed to be almost fully air sealed. I would say a dry van may be 5-10 degrees warmer than outside temperature.

 

I'd it doesn't say protect from freezing on the BOLs, I wouldn't get in a twist.

I just delivered a load of Capri Sun, 2796 cases, to Portland, and it was WTF cold, and they were fine.

 

A chef friend just told me that he has frozen hot sauce he has made but it had to go to -20 to fully freeze.