Reefer myths and legends

Some companies won't let you set it on continuous unless shipper requests.

 

Old TK Reefers are at least AS noisy as old Carriers.

I worked for a company with some real old junk Trailers/Reefers.
Had a bunch of old TKs..those things were noisy.

Anyway, I'm a company driver...so really don't care what they use Carrier/TK as long as it works.

 

Not if you know what you're doing.

Not even close, but they do have more repair shops. That should tell you something.

Only if the grumpy old trucker is first.

Yes but you got to know how to work the system. I can even take my break at Walmart.

Yes if you know your truck and trailer. I never pay to scale out.

 

A truckstop is what it is. Most times they're noisy and busy, rarely a peaceful respite for the weary driver. It's not just reefers, either. I parked the other night at Petro in Mebane, NC. with chitty-chitty bang bang and his family of leaking air-lines on one side of me, a large-house pete with a loud APU and equally loud rotweiller on the other side. Between the air leaker's cutout "Ppppsssssstttttt" firing off every 17 seconds (yes, I timed it after a few hours) and the "BeeEEEEEeeeEEEEEEEEEEEP" of the APU pre-start warning buzzer screeching, it sounded like I was holed up in an intensive care unit next to an Iron Lung and a Cardiac patient. Needless to say, I don't think my reefer was much of a distraction to them, if any at all.

Something I have tried to do as a habit for a few years now, is to nose-in when parking. I found that it's better for both me, and the neighboring trucks. It's actually a great idea, and works very nicely. If more drivers could start doing it, and just try to alternate, for instance, nose-in / back-in / nose-in etc., life would be a little more comfy. Having trailer tails on each side of you not only shields your tractor from noise, but also from winds and other weather (including sun in the hot summer days). You also have more privacy. Sure, it's not feasible in some lots, but when you are looking for spots, if you see one on the aisle with a clean shot out, try nosing her in and enjoy a good night sleep in that loud truckstop.

 

I have had my reefer turned off in the past by a flat bedder that decided to park next to me, this was back in 07', so yes it does happen

 

When I pulled reefer before (and will be again soon) I would always look for other reefers to park next to, or in the middle of a row of empty spots. That way, if any non-reefer trucks parked NEXT TO ME, it was on them for parking where they did. Of course, it's not always possible to be so "picky". If you come in late at night and the truckstop is nearly full, you have to take what you can get, but when possible, I always tried to be courteous to my fellow drivers.

 

Pulled in for the night to a busy rest area. Saw a spot open, pulled in, shut off and started to get ready to eat when I sensed a nasty smell. It was a reefer next to me, leaking and smelling like nasty during fish, like v-gina, which was not washed for a month.
I immediately pulled out and luckily found a spot on a side. Stepped outside and chatted with couple other drivers, who were killing their time betting how long will a truck stay in that spot next to the nasty smell.
That's all I have to say about reefers, have not had any other encounters with them since I started driving couple of months ago

 

I'm a flatbedder and prefer parking next to a reefer than an idling truck with its random ppppfffffsssssstttt. That being said, we are all here to do a job and need rest. I turn on sleeper fan for white noise and quickly drift off to sleep.