PartTimeDweller
May 22nd, 2005, 20:09
Now that it is summer, here are some tips on hauling ice cream.
a) Make sure the trailer is pre-cooled before arriving at the shipper. (Usually -10 will work) Most want the unit set at -20.
You wouldn't believe how many show up with a hot trailer and can't understand why they have to wait.
b) Before hauling ice cream for the 1st time, make sure your equipment is up to it. A TK Super 2 on a 53' trailer ain't gonna cut it in the summer. Plus an old trailer that has lost its thermal capabilities with a weak unit won't work either. If you have any doubts, don't take the load, as if your unit craps out with ice cream on the trailer, it gets quite expensive to have the unit swapped out under load when it has a serious malfunction. Also, an older less efficient setup will eat your profits in fuel when it is hot out.
c) Alot of newer shipper/recievers have the new style docks that they open your trailer doors from inside the building. Most places will inform you if this is the case.
Under no circumstances should you pull out before they give you the OK, as you probably will leave at least one of your trailer doors behind. Nothing more humoruos than wathing someone leave with w door in the back of the trailer. "Hey driver, you know one of your doors is open?" :D
d)Never turn the unit off at the reciever unless they tell you to.
Last year, at one of our customers, a driver was 12 hours early for his appt. He not only went ahead and dropped the trailer in the door, but opened the doors and turned the unit unit off and bobtailed to the T/S. 10hrs later when recieving showed up for the night, they found a very messy load of ice cream in the trailer, and no driver. Can you say "REFUSED"?
e) When it is really hot out, I would leave the unit on continuous, to make sure the back of the trailer stays the same temp as the front. In the winter, start stop should suffice.
Hope this helps
a) Make sure the trailer is pre-cooled before arriving at the shipper. (Usually -10 will work) Most want the unit set at -20.
You wouldn't believe how many show up with a hot trailer and can't understand why they have to wait.
b) Before hauling ice cream for the 1st time, make sure your equipment is up to it. A TK Super 2 on a 53' trailer ain't gonna cut it in the summer. Plus an old trailer that has lost its thermal capabilities with a weak unit won't work either. If you have any doubts, don't take the load, as if your unit craps out with ice cream on the trailer, it gets quite expensive to have the unit swapped out under load when it has a serious malfunction. Also, an older less efficient setup will eat your profits in fuel when it is hot out.
c) Alot of newer shipper/recievers have the new style docks that they open your trailer doors from inside the building. Most places will inform you if this is the case.
Under no circumstances should you pull out before they give you the OK, as you probably will leave at least one of your trailer doors behind. Nothing more humoruos than wathing someone leave with w door in the back of the trailer. "Hey driver, you know one of your doors is open?" :D
d)Never turn the unit off at the reciever unless they tell you to.
Last year, at one of our customers, a driver was 12 hours early for his appt. He not only went ahead and dropped the trailer in the door, but opened the doors and turned the unit unit off and bobtailed to the T/S. 10hrs later when recieving showed up for the night, they found a very messy load of ice cream in the trailer, and no driver. Can you say "REFUSED"?
e) When it is really hot out, I would leave the unit on continuous, to make sure the back of the trailer stays the same temp as the front. In the winter, start stop should suffice.
Hope this helps