wash out

If it's real bad (dried blood, wood chips EVERYWHERE ect ect) I'll get a wash out.
If it's at a point where I can just sweep it out I'll take it to the shipper, then about a mile away I'll pull over (if it's safely and realistically possible) and dump a gallon or two of water on the back so it's still dripping when I roll in.

Some of these places get a little nutty when it comes to washouts, a lot of the time when I'm pulling premixed, wrapped, prepackaged frozen vegetables or other food stuffs I find it entirely ridiculous that a few splinters of a chep pallet would put the trailer in "dire need of a trailer washout" as one birds eye employee told me a while back.

Then you get the folks that wont even allow you on the property without a washout receipt and an empty weight ticket. I hate those.

 

Yeah that happened to me the other day. I delivered a load of wine, and was going to pick up produce. The trailer wasn't all that bad at all, but when I told her the name of my company. JBS she was like is it washed out. I said no I just had wine in it. She was like well you guys carry meat and I'll need the last 3 bills of laden that shows you didn't have meat in it or a washout receipt. Then I remembered the trailer I had was a drop and hook and had to go 30 minutes up the road to the washout place which I passed on the way to the shipper.

I had to go 60 miles out of route the other day because the washout close to the Chicken plant I was picking up closed at 5 and I was stuck in ATL traffic. Ended up being at least 100 miles total. And only paid for 30miles to 40 miles whatever the mileage was from Norcross to Gainesville. Guess that's the cost you pay to pull the Shiney Hiney's.

 

Tyson is latin for leaks blood

 

Look in the yellow pages or craigslist for pressure washers who are mobile, will come to you.

 

if u go to bulkloadsnow.com u they have a tab for washouts; the list grows as drivers let them know of washouts.

 

After a wash at BB after a load of iced chicken parts I pickup a load of salt and they said they could smell the blood, almost didn't let me load. I probably should've kept the reefer running until I could get to a wash out.

 

So if you run all over for a wash out are you paid for those miles or just give them to the company? What about getting a trailer rejected? I'm still in the looking phase and have smaller reefer company in my short to drive for list but is it worth it over dry van? They're in the 5 or 6 companies that I would apply at. This is something that I didn't think about. Do you make enough over dry van to make up for the inconvenience?

 

Tyson locations usually have self-serve washouts on site. As was mentioned at the top, most of the meat packers have washouts that you drop your trailer at. It pays to call and ask before going out of route to get and pay for a washout.

 

If I need a washout and can't find one close by in one of my truck books, I call my company. Can't think of the name of the program right now but, it lists all repair place places, washouts , etc. If I have to go OOR for any reason, my company pays for it. That includes washouts, having to get rid of pallets, detours due to road construction, etc. As long as I tell them about it and can explain why, they pay me.

 

If you're O/O and need a washout from the load, then you need to calculate that into your price.

As for company drivers... it's a pain. Trick is, washout whenever you can. It's on the company's dime. Keep that trailer clean whenever you find a washout. The next load might not care, but the one after may require a clean trailer that's spotless.

It all depends on the product. Your company is being paid quite well for these meat loads. Don't think for a minute they're not calculating washout and transit to and from into their pay to you.