Reefer Tips For Rookies

Now that I said that about the APUs that doesn't make sense cause Mikes engine needed repairs. Nothing to do with the APU , I was just throwing out reasons why one truck might be OK versus another truck.

But after thinking about it, last year I was in SLC and a reefer was clogged. Howes was claimed to be the culprit. Ruined a produce load.

So what could possibly make one make/model/brand be OK and another not? Could it be bad for Carrier reefers and not for Thermo king? For FL trucks and not others? Or Rigmasters vs Thermo king.

Now I gotta go research...inquiring minds want to know lol

Reefer:

A refrigerated trailer.

OWI:

Operating While Intoxicated

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

APUs:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

Prime does tell us not to use it...but...one of my friends who is a trainer at Stevens and been driving for 20+ years used to use it until he got stuck in the cold in the middle of nowhere. He's a lease op who really takes care of his truck for the obvious reasons. The repair bill was staggering. The mechanic told him "its OK until you get in extreme temps". What extreme temps are who knows, but why risk it? Another Prime friend also was gelled and it wasn't fun. I felt bad for her cause she was so frustrated she called me crying and yelling.

But now I'm wondering if it has to do with the FL? Now that I'm thinking about it, all of the complaints I heard were in FL.

Fatsquatch what do you drive? Is there something in one make/model that would prevent it from working? Like a material in the hose lines or tanks or something? Also, all the trucks had APUs , so would Howes possibly clog the APUs or something but not affect the truck?

I've only used it in a Freightliner and a Thermo King reefer , so I can't say how it might affect any other equipment. Never had a truck with an APU on it, so I don't know if that would make a difference. But when that big Polar Vortex thing happened three years ago, I spent about 2 weeks stuck running across the upper Midwest when it never got above -15 for a daytime high, and probably bought a good dozen bottles of Howe's. Worked like a charm. Never gelled up either the truck or reefer once. Had to jump start a reefer once, but that's a horse of a different flavor.

Reefer:

A refrigerated trailer.

HOS:

Hours Of Service

HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

APUs:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

Hmmm But I was reading on Howes website that the formula for it was modified "recently"... How long ago the site was updated who knows. So I was wonderingbif the consistency changed or something. Like maybe one truck uses smaller tubes and the thicker antigel could clog stuff?

Its funny how everyone has different experiences. My trainer put his truck in Peterbilt and tried to get them to tell me I should float the gears to save on his tranny. The mechanic replied " if she did that, the clutch wouldn't release the lube you need. Use the clutch that isnehat itnis there for".

Hmmm But I was reading on Howes website that the formula for it was modified "recently"... How long ago the site was updated who knows. So I was wonderingbif the consistency changed or something. Like maybe one truck uses smaller tubes and the thicker antigel could clog stuff?

Its funny how everyone has different experiences. My trainer put his truck in Peterbilt and tried to get them to tell me I should float the gears to save on his tranny. The mechanic replied " if she did that, the clutch wouldn't release the lube you need. Use the clutch that isnehat itnis there for".

I hope this mechanic also remembered to top off your blinker fluid, lube your muffler bearings, and change out the air in your tires for winter air.

Now - I dunno about this Howes Anti-Gel debate - but clutches in trucks are (in 90+% of the time) DRY - that is - they are not bathed in lubricant like transmissions or engine parts. The only thing in a clutch assembly that might have lubricant, is the throwout bearing (and those are typically sealed).

I'm not a mechanic (actually, I was ASE certified in my teens - couldn't take the grease and non-airconditioned shops down here), but I think the guy at Pete was selling you a load of bull manure.

I taught myself how to float in school - and by the time I road tested, I forgot how to double-clutch and failed my first road test on shifts.

Rick

The input shaft of the transmission gets lubricated when the clutch is installed and there's also a zerk fitting on the pack itself for maintenance lubrication. Floating won't effect anything because the clutch still gets used plenty anyway. The only thing it would cut down on by floating all the time would be the fact that the lower amount of clutch engagement isn't going to spread that lube along the input shaft. It's really not that big of a deal though and have no idea why a mechanic would even bring that up.

Bump

Bump

Self promoter!!!

Actually I really like it when people do that. There is a ton of awesome information throughout this forum. It's great to revive the best stuff from time to time and revisit it.

This was great, considering I'm gonna be running reefer. This was info that's gonna come in handy, thanks, Rainy

If a reefer runs out of fuel and won't restart after fueling: Find the primer button. Unscrew it. Pump it 500 times (seriously, 500 times). Otherwise your going to have to sit and wait for someone else to do the exact same thing. Not uncommon to find a reefer almost out of fuel if the load is swapped, so it really is useful to know how to prime them if your not able to get to a fuel stop in time. It happens.

Rainy D, do you get trained by Prime on all these side duty for reefer? I just got accepted for orientation there.