To Reefer or Not To Reefer?

Im thinking about going to knight/squire. I drove dry van years ago for swift. But I hear its no harder than anything else in trucking.

 

you can pull wet and dry with a reefer

 

I work for Roehl in the reefer division. They've been good to me and keep me running.

 

Reefers not to bad. As for the noise of the actual reefer, you get used to it pretty quick and eventually it helps you sleep.

There are a few things to learn to it, usually just how the said companies reefers work and how to change sets and temperatures. But most of it is pretty simple and the company will train you to use the reefer.

We do have some weird hours for delivering. It's usually late at night or very early in the morning.

Some of the shippers aren't too fun. Meat packing plants are usually the worse. As they usually take forever to get you ready, usually pretty dirty, and have that smell of dry blood.

Other fun ones are produce loads as they have a habit of being out in the middle of no where, usually some interesting routes to get too. I picked up a load of potatoes in Mississippi last week that the only ways into the shipper was over 3 40,000 lb. weight limit bridges. Talk about awkward.

 

It's been awhile since I pulled reefer. How long does it take to cool the trailer down? Let's say it is 70-80 degrees outside. That means it could be pretty warm inside the trailer.

If the shipper wants the trailer at 25 degrees when you get there, generally how long would it take to get it that cool?

 

I only pick up from a customer in Garland and deliver their product to 1 of 4 cold storage places around the country. Simple appointments between 7am and noon and an hour to get unloaded. Luckily I don't go to too many grocery warehouses, been there done that in a dry van and those were some of the worst experiences of my life.

We have 3 older units that are pretty loud and those I just set on continuous. When they get to the set temp they just hum along barely heard over an idling motor. The newer ones are quiet those can be run on cycle mode.

Commdriver, many variables in that question. Last summer I was sent to pick up a 10 degree load and it was 110 outside. Upon turning on the unit it was 130 inside the trailer. After two hours the unit was only down to 35 degrees and was going no lower. The customer said not to worry because as soon as they put their product in my trailer it would cool. It did and maintained that temp with no problems. There are four drain holes located on the trailer, two in the front and two in the back. Some drivers plug these holes with corks and that is supposed to help maintain the temp on hot days.

Normally my regular loads are 35 degrees. On an 80 degree day I start the unit at the yard and in the 25 minute drive to Garland it is down to 35 degrees.

 

Also I would like to add the "people gotta eat line" is simply not true. It's a recruiter line. Frozen food is a luxury not a necessity and isn't free either. People got by just fine for hundreds of thousands of years before refrigeration was invented. It enables food to be made and sent thousands of miles away so somebody can heat it up and eat it.

ALL trucks no matter their commodity or configuration play a vital role.