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Originally Posted by ZiggynCali
Can you guys give me some details on the good an bad of both, i'm thinking of going to a school that drives mostly reefers. Would it be best to start out driving a regular trailer or is the difference not that big of a deal. With a reefer do you have to get your load to dock sooner, also what about unloading your product, would you unload a reefer yourself more so then most vans. Sorry guys if i'm asking dumb question i'm really new to all of this, it seems like something I would really like so i'm going to give it a try.
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Reefer = produce houses, meat-packing plants, grocery whorehouses, Hunt's Point. Lots of hurry up and wait around unpaid and dealing with lumpers (most of whom don't speak English). If you're hauling produce (a likely possibility seeing as your from California), then lots of multi-stop picks and drops.
Plus side is that the LOH (Length Of Haul) tends to be longer because not as much perishables can go on trains. Also reefer is less sensitive to the economy (people gotta eat, right?). You can haul both dry-freight and refegerated, although the added weight of the reefer and insulated walls can limit you somewhat. Minus is far less drop-n'-hook which means oodles and oodles of live loads.
You'll pretty much always be heavy in the box at max weight. Then there's pallet swaps, strange appointment times in the wee hours of the morn, washouts at the Streakin' Beacon, and you'll have to fill the reefer with fuel before you drop it. Hometime tends to be better with dry van because it's easier to drop trailers and you can always go home under a load (try doing that hauling lettuce).
Lots more BS but the mere thought of reefers makes me want to wretch so I'll quit while I'm ahead...