Drivers Changing My Reefer from Continuous Run to Cycle Centry

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RDaCradle@reddit

My company runs the reefers in continuous all the time. I can’t remember what imagine listening to the reefer start and stop all night. I’ve become quite attuned to the sounds my reefer makes at night. It’s not uncommon for me to wake up when the sound changes because it’s gone into defrost.

But you are right. Don’t ever mess with someone else’s reefer. It falls into the same category as breaking someone else’s seal or pulling another truck’s 5th wheel release.

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kxlling@reddit

I haul reefers about half the time during winter. My issue with them isnt noise, it's that just like so many apu units, the exhaust is always so much worse than the truck itself, nearly makes me sick because I have the nerve to try and air out my truck for a couple minutes before bed.

That said, isnt messing with a loaded trailer like that also a massive felony too?

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ratzm@reddit (OP)

I’m pretty sure it is a felony! I mean you messing with thousands of dollars of product and possibly spoiling it that doesn’t belong to you!!

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Just_NickM@reddit

Definitely a crime to tamper with food. I wonder if you could aim a camera for security

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ratzm@reddit (OP)

I have thought about getting one for that. And maybe the company should have a label near settings that says “Tampering with load is a Felony” or whatever it appropriate

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Just_NickM@reddit

Now I’m wondering why reefers don’t have that label.

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CloakedGod926@reddit

I had someone straight up turn my reefer off. Good thing it was the middle of winter in Minnesota, so the load wasn't fucked, but hell dude, WTF

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kxlling@reddit

It could be for me, we use reefers in the winter for heat to keep loads from freezing in ND and MN

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Halfgecko@reddit

Y'know, I never thought about that. Like, I guess insulation is insulation, but I never considered reefers being used to keep things warm.

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ratzm@reddit (OP)

Yes I’ve had loads that had to be heated to keep from freezing. I have also used heat to dry a trailer after a washout to be able to get loaded with huge rolls of paper going to printers. Cranking to 80 degrees and in a bit it will be dry

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PrinceOfZzyzx@reddit

Used to haul creeled wire for Michelin tires at 70 degrees controlled temperature load to unload.

Reefers can indeed be used to control temperature either way.

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xenodine@reddit

Yep, its just a giant heat pump. Can run the cooling system in reverse to keep it VERY toasty in there, even subzero. Most reefers can heat to 80 or so.

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DaSaw@reddit

When we would ship beverages in winter, we would do exactly that.

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PrinceOfZzyzx@reddit

It's a violation of 18 USC 1365, tampering with a consumer product that affects interstate commerce. This law has a technically very low threshold in that any "action" that causes a delay in any consumer goods which cross state lines can fall into this category. The resulting penalties can be a felony conviction carrying up to 10 years in prison.

Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer though at one time I played one on radio. This should not be construed as legal advice. Mostly it's just the ramblings of an aging truck driver, so some senility may apply.

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Wasabi-Kungpow@reddit

So the shit four wheelers that wanted to play bumper cars which caused traffic and a delay on the load they should get a felony for this? Nice

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Just_NickM@reddit

That’s a great point. Why aren’t there labels about it being a crime?

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Emergency_Ad1152@reddit

Why don't they have 4 code pin locks?

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mindsunwound@reddit

Mostly because not all drivers hang onto the same trailer all the time.

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EscapeWestern9057@reddit

They could make it be attached to the load paperwork

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angrydeuce@reddit

well that and because they dont want to spend the money lol

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ratzm@reddit (OP)

I think all of our reefers have the capability to set a code lock but then we are always switching trailers and if they set a common code for the whole company it would most likely be leaked at some point but it might be better than nothing

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angrydeuce@reddit

The PIN alone would be more than enough. Nobody is going to dick around spending 20 minutes on their phone trying to google what the usual pin code is for the reefers pulled by Carrier X so they can fuck with it. They'd just give up and deal with it like a big boy or girl should lol.

It's just ironic to me that so many of these carriers have the money to spend on tons and tons of monitoring and cameras and driver spying tools and all that shit to get their insurance rates down but something relatively cheap to protect lord knows how much freight from being tampered with and potentially ruined, that's just a bridge too far for them. Why? Because they'll just blame the driver...after all, an ounce of "blame someone else" is worth metric tons worth of actually solving the fuckin problem.

Same as it ever was...

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ratzm@reddit (OP)

I’m wondering if they’re just not aware our drivers are having that issue. I’m going to let someone know and they may implement a code to lock them. It may just be an awareness issue

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BusSerious1996@reddit

What year is that unit? And have you checked if the exhaust manifold is leaking? They usually get loud if there is exhaust leak.

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ratzm@reddit (OP)

I’m not sure on year but I didn’t have any other issues before or after that with it

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TheBestOut2Day@reddit

I commented this somewhere else in this thread, but wanted to reply directly to you so you could see it.

TK reefers have a Keypad Lockout Mode that can be enabled in the parameters. A button on the menu shows up that locks and prevents keypad use.

Shouldn't cost much to have a dealer turn it on. It wouldn't take them longer then 5 minutes.

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BusSerious1996@reddit

TK reefers have a Keypad Lockout Mode that can be enabled in the parameters.

Good to know . Thx

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IntergalacticJihad@reddit

Would definitely be better than nothing, but it would require effort and organization lol

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HowlingWolven@reddit

Because people who need to access the units to confirm the settings or start them can’t be guaranteed to know them. This could be compsny drivers, yes, but it could also be shunts at customer facilities or in railyards, on ships even (I’m pretty sure there’s some Jones boxboats rated for 53), etc.

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EscapeWestern9057@reddit

They should make it so there's a combination or something to prevent this.

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djd565@reddit

Who tf wants the unit turning off and on all night?- way better to have constant drone.

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Dezzolve@reddit

What, you don’t like the startup sounds?

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP

CHCHCHCH BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

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Bill__NHI@reddit

Can't forget the gentle rumbling on your bunk upon startup... Sometimes it wasn't so gentle depending on reefer conditions. That particular trailer rumbled bad and I woke up every time, but it was okay because it soothed me back to sleep at the same time.

Get in where you fit in I guess 🤷

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Yeet_PC@reddit

I always lowered the trailer legs for those particularly shaky reefers, seems to offload some of the shaking.

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Bill__NHI@reddit

For sure, landing gears also helped with very windy days while sitting in a Love's on a reset.

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DanEpiCa@reddit

To your edit: man this drives me nuts... I'm already one who really doesn't like idling trucks around me (in Germany it's the norm to turn the trucks off, so when I moved over the big pond I was in for quite an adjustment...), but the ones releasing air every 15 seconds are just ridiculous. Like how doesn't that piss off the driver of that very truck...

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RoweTheGreat@reddit

The problem is that at least for me, my company won’t put APUs in the trucks. Only way to have climate control is for the engine to be running, things are supposed to idle above and below certain temps but they just don’t. Opti idle is disabled, so if I want to have heat or ac I gotta idle all night long. And the only way to do that is to release the tractor breaks and let the trailer anchor me. And then of course they bitch about my idle time being so high. I worked for Roehl once upon a time and they had APUs that ran the HVAC as long as opti idle was on. I loved it. But hey I’ve got three weeks left before I hang up the keys so I just don’t give a fuck anymore.

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DanEpiCa@reddit

I'm not necessarily blaming the drivers here, the companies and politicians all play their part.

It'd be easy to mandate by law that every new sold highway unit has to be equipped with bunk heaters and aux-AC. That's what happened in Europe and most of the AC units are battery powered, so you don't even have the APU noise.

All that being said, I get the the need for AC and heating in very high or very low temperatures, but what I'll absolutely never understand is why so many drivers are idling when it's around 18°C/64°F with a light breeze outside.

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ididodi@reddit

Do the APU, do the APU

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RoweTheGreat@reddit

This is so fucking accurate I can hear it in my head right now. You’re just missing the weird little clicking sound it makes just before the beep starts.

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RoadRatzzz@reddit

Either way.....never bothered me

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Justwanttosellmynips@reddit

Omg for real. I sleep better that way lol. I love the constant sound.

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BigSchmitty@reddit

Cries in tinnitus.

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twenafeesh@reddit

This is exactly how I feel about the efficiency mode on my window ac at home too. I don't want the fan turning on an off all night. I need consistency.

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Freightshaker000@reddit

I'd assume another reefer driver since, as a flatbedder, I have no idea how to do anything with that.

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ratzm@reddit (OP)

Or someone who did reefer in the past

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Freightshaker000@reddit

Oh, I qualify then. ;)

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AgapeAnus@reddit

Get a camera mounted on the back of your bunk. It is a massive life ruining felony to fuck with anyones load and turning off a reefer is up there with pulling a kingpin in terms of scumbaggery. Unless you have the loudest most poorly maintained piece of shit trailer in the country it's inexcusable to even care about the noise as another driver, it's part of the job to be able to deal with that shit.

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ratzm@reddit (OP)

That’s the thing, our trailers are fairly new and not even that loud and have a consistent noise so not hard to sleep with at all

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dontdoxmebro2@reddit

I don’t do reefer but on occasion I’ve noticed anyone can change them. Don’t these things have some kind of lockout to prevent people from fucking with your freight?

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ratzm@reddit (OP)

I think they can set a code to unlock but we have Mexican drivers who take them across border to get loaded so it’s an issue of everyone who might need to adjust knowing the code

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bxruger@reddit

Nope but you get alert when the temperature changes

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-Mikey2Toes@reddit

The only thing I miss from my OTR days was the wonderful night sleep I would get with my reefer on -35c continuous and my truck idling all night long…. Vibrated to sleep like a baby…. Even the nightly 15 minute regen didn’t bother me….

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CuriosTiger@reddit

My truck didn't regen, it just idled all night long. I usually set it around 750 rpm.

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stevenmacarthur@reddit

Not taking away from the seriousness of this, but why don't the manufacturers have a way to lock the controls?

As far as the noise: if you choose a career in trucking, you're gonna occasionally park next to a reefer; accept it or find another line of work.

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ratzm@reddit (OP)

I believe they can turn in a control lock that requires a code. I think it’s getting all drivers to remember the code and also our trailers are taken into Mexico by Mexican drivers to get loaded with produce at times so it would be difficult to coordinate that with all. Sometimes when I pick up loads in Laredo TX the reefer is changed to Spanish language and I have to figure out how to get it back to English. I wish I just spoke and understood Spanish but….

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TheBestOut2Day@reddit

They do on TK reefers, it's called keypad lockout mode. A parameter needs changed to enable this feature. Hit up your dealer, shouldn't cost much to turn on.

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tvieno@reddit

It is possible that it was changed remotely by your dispatch for fuel cost reasons.

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ratzm@reddit (OP)

I had thought about that but they very strictly tell us it MUST remain on Continuous ALL the time!!

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ScaredPerformance733@reddit

Sorry you took too long at the pump 🤪

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ratzm@reddit (OP)

Yeah that annoys me so much!! That’s def not ME!! I get in and out as quick as possible

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Little5Green0Bean9@reddit

Some people are just weird about “refeer noise” and need to get off the road if it bothers them that much.

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ratzm@reddit (OP)

Exactly! If you can’t handle that then you better go home and sleep in your bed

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Yerboogieman@reddit

I stopped driving a truck a few years ago. I use reefer ASMR on YouTube to fall asleep.

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mooretec@reddit

If you play rain/thunderstorms. All the reefers and idling trucks blend right in as a rumbling thunder.... The only thing that doesn't blend is all the horns on failures to back, and the people with a broken governor/dryer so the purge goes off every minute.

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ratzm@reddit (OP)

Ohh I hate those purges going off!! Now THAT is annoying!!!

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dbroCLE@reddit

You just don't understand trucker humor, OP

/s

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ratzm@reddit (OP)

Haha

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PShubbs91@reddit

You are absolutely right that nobody should mess with your load. Just don't sit there and pretend those goddamn reefers aren't annoying and it's no big deal. You might not notice it as much because you haul one all day everyday but, the rest of us do notice it. Some are quieter and less annoying but plenty of them are extremely loud and annoying. Loud enough that I've been tempted to take my breaker bar and smash the motor until it shuts off. I would never do that but, goddamn it some of them are annoying.

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ratzm@reddit (OP)

Ours aren’t very loud and are consistent in noise so it’s like white noise that actually helps me sleep

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BusSerious1996@reddit

Usually the loud ones are due to owner's negligence on ensuring the unit doesn't have exhaust leaks or a lose exhaust manifold.

I had a loud carrier and one day I noticed exhaust shooting from the bottom... And that made me look closer. That's how I found out about the loose manifold. Had it repaired and unit was quiet running again

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PShubbs91@reddit

That's what I figured. Between driver negligence and companies not wanting to spend any money unless they absolutely have to.

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c0caine_cinderella@reddit

“Small amount of noise” my ass. I wouldn’t fuck with a load but that’s a crock of shit. Y’alls truck sounds like armageddon.

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ratzm@reddit (OP)

It’s right behind my bunk and it actually helps me sleep because it drowns out all other noise. It’s white noise that helps me sleep

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Just_NickM@reddit

Isn’t that a federal crime? Tampering with food.

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ratzm@reddit (OP)

I believe it would be

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jayjayolive68@reddit

Could also be changed remotely by your company. When I hauled refer I had miscommunication with the night time dispatch a couple of times and they changed it on me. Had to call and straighten it out.

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ratzm@reddit (OP)

I had thought about it but they are the ones who stress to MAKE SURE it’s on Continuous because it HAS to be and HAS to remain that way!

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Sea_Masterpiece2249@reddit

It is very possible your company is doing it remotely to save fuel. They don't care if you sleep well. They don't care if you burn out. They can always get another driver! In fact they count on having to get another driver.

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ratzm@reddit (OP)

I had thought about it but they are the ones who stress to MAKE SURE it’s on Continuous because it HAS to be and HAS to remain that way!

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HeimdallurRig@reddit

I'm wondering if this is the control unit changing mode by itself if it looses power or it's on a timer or something wierd. Would make more sense then someone else changing the controls. Especially if it's happened multiple times I just find the odds of multiple people being wierd and stupid enough to mess with someone else's equipment to be lower then some technical problem.

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ratzm@reddit (OP)

It hasn’t done it any other time and it was on 3 different trips and only happened the one time on each. If it was some setting it seems that it would happen at other times also like on other days of multi day trip

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Environmental-Pear40@reddit

Makes more sense to go the other way. People are kinda dumb. Though I've never had my reefer messed with. Usually try to park by other reefers. Sometimes I switch to continuous if the unit is exceptionally annoying or it's going to be really hot during my break. Also, personally keep a mattress against the back wall. Dramatically cuts down on noise.

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That-one-guy12@reddit

The same guys who complain about reefer noise are the same ones who will high idle straight pipes at the fuel island, and all night next to you.

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kleenvwaudiguy@reddit

The driver who changed the settings is the same one on Trucker's Path who is always crying about reefers parking next to them

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maggot_brain79@reddit

I don't even mind the sound of a reefer running, hell it is basically white noise to me, drowns out other more annoying sounds. But anyway, I was always raised - if it doesn't belong to you, leave it the hell alone unless someone is asking you for help or offering you something.

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chromaticskyline@reddit

Did you set the keypad lockout? Doesn’t help against drivers that know about it, but it might cut down on this.

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Justwanttosellmynips@reddit

The other night I parked beside a dude with a reefer and in the middle of the night it shut off and woke me up. I had trouble going back to sleep until it turned on again.

I love the steady sounds, they sooth me.

That being said, yeah don't mess with other people shit.

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jackinthecracker@reddit

If i am parked in a noisy area I turn on a 12 hour loop of brown noise on Spotify and sleep well. It sounds like your on a jet.

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Justwanttosellmynips@reddit

Excuse me? BROWN noise? Is that like....fart sounds?

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SGII2@reddit

A type of noise named because it uses Brownian motion (which in turn was named after Robert Brown). It has a deeper frequency and sounds much closer to a waterfall.

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WackoMcGoose@reddit

brownian motion

Ah yes, the scientist stuck in a loo begging for Gordon to bring him toilet paper.

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Justwanttosellmynips@reddit

Darn, I was hoping it would be fart sounds.

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december151791@reddit

It's a note you play on a recorder to make people shit their pants.

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Justwanttosellmynips@reddit

That's the brown note, I want to experience brown noise.

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sintactacle@reddit

It's just one 12 hour long fart actually.

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Justwanttosellmynips@reddit

Sounds glorious

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Pitiful-MobileGamer@reddit

It's the alarm tone before it starts on certain units, that just completely interrupts your sleep cycle. Continuous just turns into white noise

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ExplorerImpossible79@reddit

Where's the best spot to buy Turnips?

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Justwanttosellmynips@reddit

I don't mate. I don't play Animal Crossing anymore lol

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Mindes13@reddit

Is take a reefer than a truck with a deep resonating lopey idle next to me or that every 5 seconds air governor's psshtpssht psshtpssht

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Justwanttosellmynips@reddit

You know, I gotta agree there. The idle sounds kinda bothers me.

I like the constant same sound. The drone puts me to sleep.

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itsaheem@reddit

hahaha stop hanging out and get it unloaded then. also, unless your trailer is a piece of shit and doesn't work properly, sentry mode is what you should have it on dikhed

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Aromatic-Scratch3481@reddit

If you dont have it on video cops aint gonna do shit and honestly they may not anyway cuz they know a trucker would like, never show up to court and the product would have to be damaged by what they did or theres not really a crime there. Crimes like "criminal mischeif" still need a dollar amount tied to them.

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xenodine@reddit

It ain't a small misdemeanor to mess with a reefer load. Food tampering and tainting is a straight up felony.

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theycallmemrspants@reddit

You never hear them turn off but you always remember them starting up again.

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DrillTheThirdHole@reddit

put a security box on it with a key or something, we unfortunately live in a society where people feel entitled to just do whatever the fuck they want

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W1D0WM4K3R@reddit

My company has a remote switch for that reason - on/off, continuous vs stop/start, they can also change temps.

They had the systems installed after a couple drivers forgot Celsius vs Fahrenheit. Helpful in quite a few cases.

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Niko120@reddit

Someone turned my reefer on when I was in a hotel last week. The trailer was empty but damn, that diesel is expensive

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Molly8174@reddit

Someone climbed on my catwalk, opened the heater cover and turned off the master switch when I was parked at a hotel. I didn’t even have the heater on but like, whyyy?

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MissYouDesertRat@reddit

Thats when you someones seal.

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Quynn_Stormcloud@reddit

That’s a weird thing to do at all, but in my experience, a constant reefer is easier to sleep to than one that keeps starting up and stopping.

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DANO8503@reddit

Exactly

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Someone_said_it@reddit

Unless they're asking for help, never touch another's drivers load. Period end of subject.

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Southerner_in_OH@reddit

Totally understand your frustration.

I'm not a driver, but a shipper. I used to work for a large produce supplier. If a load arrived at destination warm, we'd request the download from Thermo King or Carrier. If it showed cycle centry, we automatically filed a claim. No discussion.

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SouthHuckleberry2187@reddit

It would make more sense to put it in continuous in order to lessen the impact of the noise.

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hotdog11inch@reddit

That is better than adjusting the temperature on it

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ratzm@reddit (OP)

Well no it’s not because they shouldn’t be touching MY load at all!!!

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FunnyHighway9575@reddit

That and shippers pay extra to have a unit run continuously. If they find out that the unit isnt running the way they pay for your company can be on the hook for the cost of the freight or the cost of hauling it.

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JOliverScott@reddit

And newer units have real time performance tracking so they could look at the log and see it wasn't running as prescribed or the temp was allowed to go outside of permitted range and refuse the entire load.

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Megalodon7770@reddit

As someone who drives reffer I would never do that. But in last couple years I noticed how many people have reffers on constant runs and they haul cheese, potatoes and other crap. I run on continuous only specific foods and most experienced drivers will now that. If you don’t want reffers parking next to you simply stop eating 🤣🤣🤣🤣

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Wolf24h@reddit

You could probably sue the fucker