Making the switch!
 

I have finally had it with flatbed freight rates thinking of making the switch to REEFER! People gotta eat right!
were headed into the slow season for flatbed and i dont want to be caught with my pants down.
so i might as well get my great dane reefer up and running, its been years since i have fooled with this reefer trailor probly needs all kinds of work to get going!
i guess im tired of the dog eat dog! i have my own authority.

what im looking for is some more security.

I dont know but i always have the feeling most people posting on here are stedeck and flatbed owners and not too much complaining from the van and reefer guys especially reefer.

when i first started out i hauled potatoes then deaheaded all the way back to get more
i did this for three months but it allways bothered me to deadhead all that way . In my mind we should had loads both ways so i went into flatbed.

i might have too get another reefer! does anyone no what the prices are now for a decent reefer trailor.
looks like every were else in this industrie theres excellent deals esp. on trucks!
ANY WAY IF SOME OF YOU COULD CHIME IN AND LET ME NO YOUR THOIUGHTS ON THIS SWITCH I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THEM AND THANKS!
ALSO MIKEFAN3 HOW ARE YOU ENJOYING THAT CHALLENGER OF YOURS! I STILL LIKE THE DODGE BETTER THAN THE CAMARO.? THANKS!

DONT do it, Driver! I have 1 flat and 3 reefers. There is currently more flatbed freight available in most places than reefer freight. My flat is currently kicking my reefers ass for rates and that is pathetic. The rates for reefers absolutely suck. Even through the NM onion season, we got killed. $2.25/50# for 2,000 mile runs is what they paid this year. Last year it was $5.50.

I'm not looking forward to anther killer winter with the flatbed, but the reefer prospects are just as grim.

Reefer is no picnic these days. Most are out there trying to make it on volume and not doing too well. You've got to have one good end to make that work and the good ends just aren't as good this year. Not to mention the fact that, with demand down, the seasons have all been shorter than usual.

I spoke with one guy not too long ago who was pulling a reefer and he told me that the return loads were paying as low as $0.70-.80/mile. I believe he was going back to the northwest. You need to have a really great rate to offset that cheap of a rate. I don't keep up with reefer rates much. I just talk with some who do pull them from time to time. I don't see great rates no matter what you pull. Reefers might do better through the winter months. Van rates should be coming up shortly with the holiday season. I don't know what used reefer units are bringing these days, but not long ago a new unit was about $60,000. If you plan on going to California you may need to retrofit if the unit is too old. Of course you can always haul meat or other types of freight other than produce and not go to California. Then there is always van freight that you could throw on your reefer. A friend of mine was offered $2/mile for some short van freight going into the northeast. I am sure rates coming out are really cheap. Before spending much money I would check into rates. From what I have been hearing they are not doing that well. You can still haul onions out of the northwest, but getting out may be the problem.

Yep still having a blast driving that thing, still amazed at the attention it gets going down the road or anytime I stop.


http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p.../Chally013.jpg

If you're just planning on using loadboards and have no customers you won't see much for rates. Just increased costs from the reefer.
2002 and older units are dirt cheap as they don't qualify for CARB and unless they extend again can't run CA at the end of the year.(unless retrofited with DPF)

I've met two different O/O's just this past week who recently parked their reefers and went back to flatbed...

I never would have thought that, wow.

It's probably the TRUEST RETRO/REINTRODUCTION of a model - every time I see one, I have to get closer to tell if it's a classic or new one. They're HEAVY AS HELL though. You'd think they'd have gone fiberglass fenders to get the horsepower:weight a little more peppy.

A GORGEOUS CAR nonetheless...

Rick

Reefer rates are not as bad as the brokers and lunch counter crybabies want you to think they are.......