Reefer driving for rookies?

Just delievered at a wally world DC in Coldwater, MI. Wasn't even charged the normal $50. Are any of the other DC's heading that way??

 

Was it a Dry Warehouse Non Grocery? I noticed the non Grocery warehouses don't charge. Well the ones I have been 2.

 

Nope, was a grocery warehouse.

 

Hardest thing to learn if your doing multi pick produce loads is how to load the truck properly so it all fits and scales legally. Once you get that figured out its not too bad at all. Once you have been to the packing sheds and coolers a few times you find out which ones ae quick or slow and which are good and bad to deal with. Be nice to the forklift drivers and they can be real helpfull. Be sure to CYA, ie count and pulp !

 

Get ready to wait forever! I did it for 7 years in Germany,and it's the same game,'come on by,everything is ready!" I've waited 3 hours,no matter who I was picking up from! Then you have to worry about what happens when the refrigeration unit goes out! I don't wanna do it again! Note, I didn't saiy I'd never do it again,I don't wanna! But sometimes we take what we can get!

 

As a company driver[shaffer]the main thing is the delay's in loading and unloading,why should a refrigerated load take twice as long as a non reefer load to load or unload?
I went with a refrigerated division of a carrier thinking that i could also haul non-reefer freight which would theoretically give me more oppurtunities for freight ...NOT!

 

No,because a reefer weighs automatically more!So you can never max it out like a dry van! And it usually takes longer because they are simply never finished! Still packing the meat cases,or in worse case scenario,you'll have to re-do it,because it's not safe to even load it in the truck! I've even done it from the roadway!!!!!!

 

Shaffer does'nt haul any dry freight huh.One of my reefer companies hauled almost as much dry and reefer freight.Ihaul swinging meat now but im local.If I ever do decide to go back otr it'll be dry because reefer has weird appt tmes and alot of dry freight delivered does'nt ld/unload on weekends.

 

All I haul are reefer units, maybe 40% of my docks have been huge warehouses. 30% are the kind of docks you pull up to and think "i wonder if they knew they ordered a 53ft trailer.." and the last are just terminal to terminal

 

Not completely true. I haul for Shaffer and I have done a load of paper from Maine, and canned beer, which could have been hauled in a dry van as well.