Reefer times

Daffyduck528

Expert Expediter
This may be in the wrong section, but when you have a -20c load, how long does it take you to get back to temp after you load your cargo?
 

layoutshooter

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
Var
This may be in the wrong section, but when you have a -20c load, how long does it take you to get back to temp after you load your cargo?

Varies greatly. Depends on ambient temp/humidity, how big the load is and how well the box was conditioned prior to loading. Has been a couple to several hours.
 

Daffyduck528

Expert Expediter
Gotcha. Very small load. Just preconditioned enough to hit my minimum required temps. I figured I'd be out in a hour. I was wrong. It took me a few hours.
 

layoutshooter

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
Gotcha. Very small load. Just preconditioned enough to hit my minimum required temps. I figured I'd be out in a hour. I was wrong. It took me a few hours.

For temps that cold I like to precondition the box a LOT more than that.

I know about how long it takes to get into range at any given temp and ambient conditions. I then add about 3-4 hours to that to insure that the probes have settled in and all of the equipment, furniture pads, etc. are good and cold, or warm if I am heating in winter.
 

Daffyduck528

Expert Expediter
For temps that cold I like to precondition the box a LOT more than that.

I know about how long it takes to get into range at any given temp and ambient conditions. I then add about 3-4 hours to that to insure that the probes have settled in and all of the equipment, furniture pads, etc. are good and cold, or warm if I am heating in winter.

I like to do that as well. Dispatch pushed my time back 2 hours from my previous delivery to this pickup. I called and complained that it wasn't enough time and they only gave me an extra hour. My previous load was a 77f load.
 

iceroadtrucker

Veteran Expediter
Driver
Did some one Get there degree in underwater basket weaving?? You know well enough after you do a 77f load you cant get down to -22f in a couple of hours. You know you cant. Nope not a couple of hours. Now if you were at temp and while they were loading you they shot 22F into you while loading them yes you got a chance at the temp in under a couple of hours. doing it that way Id say Min.
 
Last edited:

layoutshooter

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
I like to do that as well. Dispatch pushed my time back 2 hours from my previous delivery to this pickup. I called and complained that it wasn't enough time and they only gave me an extra hour. My previous load was a 77f load.

The result of dispatch not having a clue about reality. I too have had problems at a shipper when dispatched too quickly from a load that was set at 70F and the next load was at -20C. It was near 90F that day and humid. I ended up picking up the load but not when I was dispatched for. Many in dispatch need training on how temp control works.
 

Wolfie62

Seasoned Expediter
It does depend on ambient temps, parked or moving, daytime or nightime, and condition of your reefer-especially your condensor coil/fins. Corrosion eats up those aluminum fins and wrecks your heat transfer rate, especially belly mount units. Last month had -20 C load that picked up in Long Island and had 2 delivery stops. Took 3 hours at night in Bordentown NJ to drop temp, but 68 F ambient. Then 8 hours preconditioning box at -20 C before pick up. At pickup, shipper only had 1 skid, Fedex approved, so we loaded it. 1.5 hours later, at set point, Fedex says unseal, and remove skid, shipper is going to devide skid for 2 customers. We open again, back in to dock, and shipper removes skid. We close doors and run reefer. 15 mins later we open doors again, back in to dock and reload 2 smaller skids. Now it is 2 pm, and 97 F ambient, have to park on asphalt, no shade, cant move truck. Took nearly 5 hours to get back to temp. Got stuck in NYC traffic next 2 hours, reefer had hard time of it in hot traffic, barely moving. So, yes, reefer time depends on many factors, and dispatch is clueless.
 

Wolfie62

Seasoned Expediter
Forgot to mention, we were on that -20 C load for 3 days! And yes, we drive a belly mount reefer.
 

layoutshooter

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
We must not forget that as trucks age it's takes longer to get into temp range and more difficult to hold temps. The insulation in these trucks breaks down, forcing the TCU's to work harder.
 

Wolfie62

Seasoned Expediter
Who says the insulation breaks own? The "engineers" at TVAL? The biggest culprit for slow heat transfer is an ageing (corroded) condensor.
 

Wolfie62

Seasoned Expediter
All true and well said. There are wide varieties of construction techniques in boxes and in insulation types used and in how that insulation is anchored within the box walls and floors.
 
Top