Best Reefer Maintenance Practices Before Loading By Road Dogs

Knowing Your Perishable Cargo

Refrigerated containers specially designed for transporting temperature-controlled perishable goods via intermodal transport in the inland market or across borders are known as “Reefers“.

All temperature-controlled freight have one thing in common: the truck or trailer in which they are loaded in has an efficiently built-in refrigeration system to regulate the temperature that keeps the cargo at its pre-shipment temperature.

Temperature Controlled Freight + Road Dogs = Perfect Cold Supply Chain

Road Dogs Mobile Repair understands how important well maintained and repaired reefers are. They are primarily used to haul frozen foods, meat and fresh produce to preserve their freshness and original quality while they are being shipped. Reefers are also used to transport and deliver many other products like electronic equipment, plants & flowers, medicine, hospital essentials, cosmetics and fine art.

On the road, reefers must perform flawlessly to ensure that the cargo arrives at its destination without deterioration to its quality. To ensure this, Road Dogs recommends Pre-Trip Inspections and scheduled maintenance on reefers as a mandatory practice to ensure that they function seamlessly without any mechanical glitches.

Road Dogs Mobile Repair suggests that truckers go through the following points before they hit the road to deliver the cargo.

Things To Consider Before Loading a Reefer

Before a refrigerated truck is loaded, a few things to consider will help make for a more efficient and timely process:

• Understand the Freight Types & Their Needs
  Specific kinds of freight require different temperature ranges. For example, Road Dogs suggests to truckers that the refrigerated unit be adequately maintained and have ample space for goods that have different temperature zones before the actual loading process begins. Knowing the minimum and maximum temperatures of specific cargo comes across as a piece of handy information that can prevent the goods from any damage during transit.
• Have Proper Airflow
  Temperature-controlled air must be circulated throughout the entire freight, especially if highly perishable goods such as frozen food products are transported. Road Dogs recommends adding an air chute or a T-rail to the floor that helps control airflow under flat cargo. For flat truck floors, freight should be packed on pallets so air can quickly move beneath it.
• Pre-Cool the Unit Before Loading
  A critical point for truckers to take note of is to ‘Pre-Cool’ the reefer unit. Every time the reefer is loaded, pre-cooling must be done prior to ensure that the quality of perishable cargo remains unaffected. Thus, the air stays at a consistent temperature throughout the loading process.
• Know How Many Pallets Fit in a 53-Foot Trailer
  Reefer trailers come in various lengths. However, a standard length for hauling a significant amount of freight is 53-feet. As mentioned above, it’s essential to maintain proper airflow by loading goods on pallets. But before packing the cargo, you need to know how many pallets can fit in the truck or trailer. For example, a 53-foot trailer can fit up to 26 pallets that measure 42″ x 48″. Road Dogs suggests to check the width of the trailer before loading as well as the width can vary depending on the type of trailer.

How Does Road Dogs Mobile Repair Services Help?

The transportation of a temperature-controlled load requires the utmost care and caution on the part of the driver. The most significant risk faced by the driver or a trucking company is a breakdown of the reefer unit itself in transit resulting in the spoilage of loaded goods. It can lead to heavy financial losses to the truckers, owners of trucking companies and the customer for which the goods are being shipped.

To avoid any such unforeseen incident:

● Get proficient reefer repair services in the GTA by Road Dogs Mobile Repair.
● If a breakdown has occurred, do not panic.
● Create a free Road Dogs account online and be prepared to log into your account by using your very own Road Dogs customer portal.
● Choose the reefer repair service you require and Road Dogs will send an experienced reefer technician to you as soon as possible.

Road Dogs Mobile Repair is the best solution when you and your loaded reefer get stranded on a highway or anywhere in the GTA. Road Dogs ensures that you get back on the road as quickly as possible.

Although reefer breakdowns are not predictable and are inevitable, truck drivers and trucking companies can take steps to prevent breakdowns and in turn, save themselves a lot of money.
A prompt pre-inspection by the driver or a certified technician that provides reefer repair services goes a long way in keeping the mechanical glitches at bay. Road Dogs recommends creating a maintenance schedule that includes PMA and PMB services every three to six months, respectively. If, after exercising due diligence, there comes a time that your reefer requires a quick repair or service, make Road Dogs your number one choice in the GTA.

Get the most out of your reefer.

Road Dogs Mobile Repair is the modern age solution to your reefer breakdown and maintenance worries. Road Dogs assures all truck drivers and trucking companies that they will send a qualified technician with a fully-stocked service truck on every call. In the event of a reefer breakdown, financial loss is what Road Dogs attempts to prevent anywhere in the GTA and their services are always just a click away.

Make Road Dogs a part of your emergency reefer breakdown assistance and maintenance team!

Road Dogs, Transports Best Friend!