Vented Van Question

Potatoes can be hauled in V V' s. Corn is the field corn type, not sweet corn like you buy in the produce section. Onions, yes, some can.Watermelons, certainly. Remember these crops move around to different locations, following a season.
Vented trailers need an opening in the front. and one in the rear. Trailer shops usually sell kits to install them.

 

Nursery stock can also be hauled. I prefer the large reefer style vents as the box will stay cooler. They are also required at some shippers like Black Gold, so pay a little bit extra and get the door style vents.

 

A good reefer style set will run about $300 - installation shouldn't be all that hard. I think you can add pumpkins and occasionally nursery loads are good on just a VV to the list of possible items to haul. I originally had a box and decided to just spend the $300 for a good set of vents to give me the opportunity at a few more loads. Then a shipper totaled that trailer with a forklift - another day in the trucking business I guess.

 

Onions have to be vented or they will sour. They say the fumes from an unvented trailer with onions can make you pass out when you open the doors, I don't know how true that is, I've never have seen it happen. Maybe because I always vented my trailer.

 

Most have been covered--but to continue on ONIONS especially--even well vented they seem to build up more gas than most--so it isn't a bad idea to just open one door occasionally en route--like while fueling etc--Ive found this works pretty well--same with nursery stock--
just my $.02

 

how don't know how anyone can work around onions.

i walked into a warehouse where all doors were open. and all fans circulating. and almost cried.

 

Pumpkins...... You gotta be careful about axle weights, sometimes the load moves forward or back. Schneiders are like that if they are round enough

 

Another necessary thing for dry vans that I discovered on nursery this year. If you have metal or translucent roof.. ..around the 1st of April in the TN area, as the weather warms, most shippers will not load your dry van if the roof is not plywood lined. The hot sun will burn plants that touch the roof. Mine wasn't but 13 sheets of 1/2" 4x8 foam board insulation & a couple of hours later with a helper, it is now.

 

I used luan plywood on a translucent roof I had. Rough job by yourself, but cooled off the van quite a bit.