POLL Reefer Body
- Thread starter czego82
- Start date
There are a number of good brands out there and you can find expediters who swear by every one of them. Sadly, it is not uncommon to find expediters who complain about manufacturing defects and reefer installation errors. It's not so much about picking the best brand. Good results also involve finding a good dealer/installer. And even if the body is great and the install is perfect, a reefer dealer may undo that good by blowing the reefer install.
For reefer body success, you need a good manufacturer, good truck body dealer, a properly spec'ed reefer and a good reefer dealer/installer. Also consider the truck body door(s). Those are made by different companies and the quality varies. Door type (roll-up, barn) and specs are also important in the success of a reefer body.
Will the truck have a lift gate? Will the lift gate require a metal plate on the floor inside the truck body? Metal conducts heat and cold faster than wood. What of the roof? Will there be a special texture or coating designed to deflect solar energy? How thick will your walls be? Thick insulation is good but will it limit the ability to place 48" skids side by side? What about internal air flow? Might the equipment you intend to carry mess that up? You might have the best truck body and reefer in the world but if you block air flow it won't help you much. These items apply to reefer bodies of all brands.
One expediter we met had a truck that passed the TVAL tests with flying colors when the truck sat still but lost temperature when driving down the road. It turned out the reefer installer (a well known one in expedite circles) failed to properly seal the top-mount reefer opening when the reefer was installed. It took them a while to solve that mystery and when they did, the dealer blew it again by shortcutting the fix.
We had mysteries of our own to solve soon after our new reefer and box went into service. Pulldown was slow even though our reefer and body were well-spec'ed. Carrier flew two engineers with special equipment from GA to TN to solve the mystery. They used infrared cameras to test the body. After making a number of minor adjustments to how the reefer itself operated, we were fine.
Body, door(s) dealers, reefer, specs, air flow and more; there are many things to think about in addition to the brand of the truck body. The competency of your sales reps are also something to consider. Most are happy to assure their customers that everything will be fine, and they are hindered in providing everything you need because they sell only one component. It is up to you to make sure your reefer and truck body work well together. The sales reps sell good components but only you have the true big-picture in mind.
There were a handful of popular reefer and truck body dealers we heard about from other expediters but even with that, all of them had their fans and detractors voiced by customers who were either satisfied or dissastisifed. Some of the expressed dissatisfaction was undeserved. In several cases, the dealers provided exactly what the customer asked for but the customer had faulty ideas about what was best. In other cases, customers tried to out-know the technicians. "It's the three-way valve and the S.O.B. must have put the new one in wrong ... I know it's the three-way valve, My cousin in California had one go out once." Or, "I'll never buy another (brand) box again!" Stated by a driver whose reefer condenser was packed full of dirt.
In addition to the opinions you hear about truck body brands and related components, consider the logical competence of the person voicing the opinion. Reefers and truck bodies are complex topics. Beware of those who oversimplify an issue and inject a healthy dose of emotion in voicing their opinion.
Regarding durability, note that reefer body insulation of all kinds degrades over time. Today's minimal approach to insulation may save money now but cost later when the insulation degrades. Beefing up the insulation to offset this may be wise but it may also limit the interior space in the box. Buying a reefer that has more capacity than you need today is a way to hedge against the effect of time on truck body insulation.
Another thing to consider is the truck-body age limit, if any, your motor carrier or customers may have. If you are going to be forced to replace your truck body in a certain number of years, it may make sense to build a cheaper box and lower-capacity reefer now, knowing the insulation will still be good enough in the next few years.
For reefer body success, you need a good manufacturer, good truck body dealer, a properly spec'ed reefer and a good reefer dealer/installer. Also consider the truck body door(s). Those are made by different companies and the quality varies. Door type (roll-up, barn) and specs are also important in the success of a reefer body.
Will the truck have a lift gate? Will the lift gate require a metal plate on the floor inside the truck body? Metal conducts heat and cold faster than wood. What of the roof? Will there be a special texture or coating designed to deflect solar energy? How thick will your walls be? Thick insulation is good but will it limit the ability to place 48" skids side by side? What about internal air flow? Might the equipment you intend to carry mess that up? You might have the best truck body and reefer in the world but if you block air flow it won't help you much. These items apply to reefer bodies of all brands.
One expediter we met had a truck that passed the TVAL tests with flying colors when the truck sat still but lost temperature when driving down the road. It turned out the reefer installer (a well known one in expedite circles) failed to properly seal the top-mount reefer opening when the reefer was installed. It took them a while to solve that mystery and when they did, the dealer blew it again by shortcutting the fix.
We had mysteries of our own to solve soon after our new reefer and box went into service. Pulldown was slow even though our reefer and body were well-spec'ed. Carrier flew two engineers with special equipment from GA to TN to solve the mystery. They used infrared cameras to test the body. After making a number of minor adjustments to how the reefer itself operated, we were fine.
Body, door(s) dealers, reefer, specs, air flow and more; there are many things to think about in addition to the brand of the truck body. The competency of your sales reps are also something to consider. Most are happy to assure their customers that everything will be fine, and they are hindered in providing everything you need because they sell only one component. It is up to you to make sure your reefer and truck body work well together. The sales reps sell good components but only you have the true big-picture in mind.
There were a handful of popular reefer and truck body dealers we heard about from other expediters but even with that, all of them had their fans and detractors voiced by customers who were either satisfied or dissastisifed. Some of the expressed dissatisfaction was undeserved. In several cases, the dealers provided exactly what the customer asked for but the customer had faulty ideas about what was best. In other cases, customers tried to out-know the technicians. "It's the three-way valve and the S.O.B. must have put the new one in wrong ... I know it's the three-way valve, My cousin in California had one go out once." Or, "I'll never buy another (brand) box again!" Stated by a driver whose reefer condenser was packed full of dirt.
In addition to the opinions you hear about truck body brands and related components, consider the logical competence of the person voicing the opinion. Reefers and truck bodies are complex topics. Beware of those who oversimplify an issue and inject a healthy dose of emotion in voicing their opinion.
Regarding durability, note that reefer body insulation of all kinds degrades over time. Today's minimal approach to insulation may save money now but cost later when the insulation degrades. Beefing up the insulation to offset this may be wise but it may also limit the interior space in the box. Buying a reefer that has more capacity than you need today is a way to hedge against the effect of time on truck body insulation.
Another thing to consider is the truck-body age limit, if any, your motor carrier or customers may have. If you are going to be forced to replace your truck body in a certain number of years, it may make sense to build a cheaper box and lower-capacity reefer now, knowing the insulation will still be good enough in the next few years.
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