What are the downsides to hauling a reefer

Still can't smoke if your a cdl holder.

 

Lighten up cup cake

 

They won't change drug testing laws. Marijuana is still illegal on the federal level.

 

"Reefers are only legal in Colorado now". EMPLOYER'S can demand a on the spot drug test at any time they wish with dismissal for using

 

duh...maybe I should run thru colorado more.......joke for all you cupcakes out there....

 

My reply, "Do you eat food? Most likely yes? Then ####"

Mikeeee

 

Everybody think there is some kind of benefit to reefer like study frieght but refer can be a seasonal as anything else.

You always run heavy and slow; there are no light reefer loads.

Lots of live loads and unloads. Very few drops and hooks; no one wants that refer to run all day without moving.

Food handlers have no problem detaining you and few companies will actually pay the money they promise

Even the best food loaders have a hard time understanding how to load a refer. The heaviest part of the trailer/truck is up front yet human nature is to pack what you got up front first and leave the rest for the back. Cannot do this with a reefer. This little bit of fact leaves dock jockeys and desk jockeys at the home office dayzed and confused: "What do you mean the load is over-weight?" An of course since you are the dumb truck driver you get the run around from all ends. End result is lots of load reworks, arguments, and wasted unpaid time for truck driver.

Lots of unpaid refer cleaning. Sometimes just a sweep out but most people want their food in a spotless container. Few companies pay the driver for this.

Sometimes securing a load in a reefer can be tough and time consuming. Few companies by reefers with logistic tie points although they are available. But like everything else, these companies like to be as cheep as possible. Often the front pallets must be singled and should be secured or else the driver will be to blame for the crappy packaging. Of course you are not allowed on the dock to point that out.

Lots of free trailer maintence. The refeer units can be pretty reliable but sometimes are not. The gives the driver lots of oppertunity to donate more time to the company.

Even the best units get torn up by lumpers, dock jockeys. Tears in walls have to be fixed before the next load. Walls of reefers are often thin and week and dock jockeys just don't care. In order to donate more time to your favorite reefer company you will fill out claims or else they will dock you will with the damage. The very least you will spend time fixing or getting the equipment fixed.

Lots of night driving.

3-4am appointments, and appointments are hard.

Lumpers and all the time wasted being company banker and hoping the company will "remember" to reimburse you.

Lots of short to medium short runs spaced days apart to meet the 4am unload.

More unpaid time spend at the gas pump filling up the reefer.

Some reefer companys have a hard time with back hauls and will fill the trailer with trash just to save the dead head miles on the planners stats. Have fun cleaning that out and fixing the trailer afterwards.

Overall I don't see where the .01-.03 cents pays the company driver for the reefer crap: Owner/op well that is different.

 

Everything that Mr. Too many Bikes wrote please strike from the record. ON the grounds of misleading the witness, hearsay, working for crapola companies, and Pure Unadulterated whining!!

 

This is pretty much spot on. I pulled reefer for 2 years. It was fun but at the same time a pain in the ###. The long waits, heavy loads, slow lumpers, rude dock workers etc. just got to me. I had to switch. Now I pull tankers and couldn't be happier. My buddy who's a o/o pulls reefer and makes decent money doing it but he runs his ### off to do it. All live unloads/loads. No way.