“Reefer” first appeared in the popular song “Reefer Man,” recorded by Don Redman in 1931. Some say “reefer” was Anglicized from the Spanish “grifa,” a Mexican slang word for marijuana. Others attribute it to the Spanish “reef,” meaning to roll, because marijuana cigarettes are rolled.
ree·fer ˈrē-fər. : refrigerator. : a refrigerator car, truck, trailer, or ship. reefer.
What is a reefer in shipping?
Refrigerated containers, also called reefer containers, are used for goods that need to be temperature controlled during shipping. Reefer containers are equipped with a refrigeration unit that is connected to the power supply on board the ship.
Whats a reefer on a truck?
“Reefer” is slang for refrigerated. The truck is your standard semi-cab. However, the reefer really is just the trailer. A “reefer truck,” then, is a semi pulling a refrigerated trailer, designed to haul perishable goods. These trailers differ from cooling vans, which are just insulated and vented.
Typically, reefer loads pay more money. Since fresh food and medicine is always in demand, there’s a consistent need for refrigerated trucking services. Many require long-haul transport, which also usually means more money.
What are reefer loads paying?
Reefer Freight Rates – November 15, 2022
Reefer freight rates are averaging $2.77 per mile, a $. 06 drop from the October average. Reefer rates are highest in the Midwest, averaging $3.28 per mile. The lowest rates are in the Southeast, with an average of $2.48 per mile.
What do reefers do?
A refrigerated container or reefer is an intermodal container (shipping container) used in intermodal freight transport that is capable of refrigeration for the transportation of temperature-sensitive, perishable cargo such as fruits, vegetables, meat, and other similar items.
What is the difference between trailer and reefer?
“Reefer” is a slang term for a refrigerated trailer pulled by your standard semi-tractor (truck). The reefer really is just the trailer, making a “reefer truck” a semi-truck pulling a refrigerated trailer, usually hauling food, medicine or other perishable goods.
Is diesel and reefer the same?
However, reefer trailer fuel, which can easily be identified by its distinct red color, is another form of diesel, and it’s considered an off-road fuel. Since off-road fuel isn’t taxed the same as on-road fuel, reefer fuel helps reduce the cost of operating a reefer trailer.
Does reefer mean refrigerator?
The term ‘reefer’ is used to describe a full-service or dedicated refrigerated truck or container with temperature control equipment. A reefer can be set from temperatures ranging from 50 degrees to minus 20 Fahrenheit.
A common rule of thumb is a reefer trailer should last for an average of 40,000 hours of use which equates to about 8 years on the open road. These values are based on an average of 4,000 to 5,000 hours of use per year. Keeping your hours under 4,000 annually will then extend the lifespan of your trailer considerably.
What is the difference between reefer and chiller?
The difference between a freezer and a blast chiller is that a freezer holds food at below freezing temperature while a blast chiller cools food quickly by blowing cold air over the food product and gradually dropping the temperature in the chamber.
How cold can a reefer get?
The average reefer maintains temperatures within a range of about -13 degrees to 77 degrees Fahrenheit. However, there are highly specialized refrigeration units that go as low as -85 degrees Fahrenheit.
How long can full reefer fuel run?
If everything is running close to normal, a reefer’s 50-gallon tank could last up to 4-5 days. Simple habits, such as maintaining your reefer trailer can pay big dividends year after year.
Do reefer trailers take fuel?
Modern reefer units use between 0.4 and 1.1 gallons of diesel per hour of engine run time. In automatic mode, the engine runs a fraction of the time that the unit is switched on and protecting cargo, so fuel consumption per hour most likely will be at the low end of the estimate.
Does reefer take diesel?
You can use off-road diesel or reefer fuel in a reefer trailer, as long as the fuel is not used to propel the vehicle on the road. Reefer fuel or low emission diesel are often used to maintain temperature controls in reefer trailers.
If you run out of fuel for the reefer, you run out of cold, so to speak – a problem that can put cargo at risk. Additionally, restarting the refrigeration unit may be problematic, because when the tank runs dry the engine can lose its prime. That can force a costly service callout.
What to do if reefer runs out of fuel?
How do reefer trailers get power?
Generally, fleet operators rely on hybrid units in which the refrigeration is powered by a diesel engine or generator-powered refrigeration compressor while the trailer is on the road.