Damn Reefers

[Bandit102]

So one of my drivers falls prey to some sort of Sunday evening temporary polio and can't haul his reefer load out of Nogales. No problem, I'm at the yard polishing wheels on my flatbed. I'll take it. Off to Nogales I go. Mr. Customer says HURRY and get there before 5pm, they're ready for you. 4:20pm I bump the dock in Nogales. After much yelling and actually some cursing, I'm loaded and away from the dock at 1:05 AM Saturday morning. Deliver in Denver 7am Sunday morning. 931 miles. GRRRRRR. But I do it, for my best customer.

Call reload customer Monday morning 7am. Yeah, your load is ready, come pick it up in Greeley, CO around 1PM today. Get to shipper at 12:15 PM and sign in. 2:45 PM get assigned a door. Shipper loads truck. Shipper unloads truck. Order cancelled, get lost. God, I miss my flatbed. (What I really miss is my winch bar - an excellent communication tool.) I leave and start calling brokers.

Mr. Customer calls 5PM says load is back on, sorry, I'll give you $100! Pick it up 7AM Tuesday, Delivers El Paso TX 6 am Wednesday morning. Hey, thats 765 miles! After the "do you want it or not" I take it. Bump the dock AGAIN at 7AM. After my final threat of physical violence, I'm loaded and gone at 2PM. Drive like hell and get here at 2AM. At 6:30AM they knock on my door and put me in dock number 2.

Now, 10:48AM security comes out and tells me to pull up so he can seal my trailer. WHAT? They put 2 pallets back on, don't know yet if they are going to reject them or not! Seal trailer and sit and wait! How about they just reject it, so I can pull out of the gate, cut the seal and throw their ***** out in the parking lot and be on my way.

P.S. This Freightliner Century is a POS. Gets worse mileage than my Classic and rides bad and doesn't pull near as well.

I don't know how my drivers do it. You have to be a friggin lunatic to put up with this kind of crap. Both of my drivers tell me flatbedding is too much work.

Rant off.

[allan5oh]

Boy I love hauling a step deck.

Too much work? I'd rather be pulling a tarp over a load, then waiting in my drivers seat 5 hours fuming.

[repete]

Thanks for reminding me why I don't like pulling a reefer, Hope it get's better for Bandit

[b00m]

What are you talking about?? Reefer is the best job...unless mine starts running.So loud that i can't go to sleep.

[BanditsCousin]

This Bandit has been pullin a reefer for about a week now. There's no vegatables in the wagon though, and the freight has to stay 70 degrees....

[INKTOXICATED]

damn thats some serious mileage inna hurry. yeesh. sounds scary having to work that hard for a paycheck

[coastie]

HAHAHA Well for me it does not matter Flatbed or a Reefer or a Dry Van. I enjoy them all Each and everyone has their pros and cons.

Many years ago I seen flatbeds hauling Onions bond to a Grocery warehouse.

[Jackrabbit379]

I've seen flats hauling onions. Seems like the onions would dry rot.