Do we really have refrigerated trailers?

[1080Driver]

Last week when it was super hot in the NYC area, I delivered a case of wine to a customer. I asked her to let me know how the wine was after riding around in my 125+ degree truck all day. She said the shipper assured her it came from California in a refrigerated trailer. Then today, another driver sent me a pic of a case of wine with a sticker on it saying "Temperature Controlled Shipment Provided by UPS" In my 20+ years as a driver, the only refrigerated trailer I've seen associated with UPS was the Christmas turkey trailer.

 

[oldngray]

UPS does have some refrigerated trailers. Not to keep packages cool though. There is more volume going to west coast than coming back east so instead of sending back empty trailers they use them to ship produce east. UPS gets very creative about making money. I never heard of refrigerated wine but its possible if UPS can make more money doing it.

 

[over9five]

Some loads come to the hub in refrigerated trailers (like Omaha Steaks), but the trailers are not ours.

 

[cachsux]

There are refrigerated trailer from the shippers. Once they hit the primary and are unloaded the packages are handled at the same temp as any other until you deliver it.

 

[cosmo1]

Like those Godiva chocolates in July.

 

[Catatonic]

I've heard about reefer since I started at UPS 40 years ago.

 

[BSWALKS]

I've heard about reefer since I started at UPS 40 years ago.

Madness!

 

[Nimnim]

I wish more reefer trailers would show up on my sort. I haven't seen one in months. In this heat you can almost guarantee that sucker will be on the bay door for hours.

 

[cosmo1]

I've heard about reefer since I started at UPS 40 years ago.

I haven't had reefer since I started at UPS almost 35 years ago.



But, that might change!

 

[OptimusPrime]

Had a lady stop me, and ask about air conditioning in our cars. Told no, we don't do that. She was dismayed. Was makeup from Sephora chilling in the 120 degree back of the truck.

 

[BSWALKS]

I've heard about reefer since I started at UPS 40 years ago.

I haven't had reefer since I started at UPS almost 35 years ago.
So you're gonna start a Friday night munchies chat thread?


But, that might change!

 

[104Feeder]

We have reefers we use for local pickups here, Liberty Distributing (candy for C-stores) and I think they were using some for Gold Canyon Candles. They used to be Martrac trailers which were complete POS & broke down all the time but lately I'm seeing Swift rentals. We do have other reefers come in from chicken haulers, mostly Omaha steaks & flowers.

You could always tell when a Martrac was used for produce shipping as it stunk. The FNN likes to say that was a program UPS never intended to make money, opting for the tax write off, but it didn't cooperate. I'm not buying that story.

 

[quamba 638]

Last week when it was super hot in the NYC area, I delivered a case of wine to a customer. I asked her to let me know how the wine was after riding around in my 125+ degree truck all day. She said the shipper assured her it came from California in a refrigerated trailer. Then today, another driver sent me a pic of a case of wine with a sticker on it saying "Temperature Controlled Shipment Provided by UPS" In my 20+ years as a driver, the only refrigerated trailer I've seen associated with UPS was the Christmas turkey trailer.

They just left out turkeys sit outside for a week next to the guard shack. The temp probably didn't get above 20 though.

 

[tre305]

Only seen a trailer like that once at my Center maybe two years ago for all the valentine's flowers we were getting that couldn't be delivered.

 

[TooTechie]

The temperature controlled shipment by ups stickers I just started seeing this week all appear to be styrafoam inside cardboard. My guess is dry ice inside?

 

[overallowed]

All of our trailers are refrigerated. In the winter.

 

[soberups]

Actually...the company is going to start making refrigerated trailers available on a limited basis for wine shipments. Our building for instance will send one refer trailer per week to Texas, were the wine will be unloaded and distributed via our normal ground network to the surrounding region. The next week the trailer will go to Florida, then Ohio the week after that and New York the week after that. There will be a surcharge of $8.50 per box, which is far cheaper than 2 day or next day air. It will allow our local wine shippers to make periodic shipments to customers all year long instead of sitting on everything until fall and then hitting each route with 4 or 5 pallets in one day. My description of this new service is a bit oversimplified but basically accurate. I have been handing info cards about the new service to all of my wineries and some of them are very excited about it.

 

[Bagels]

There are refrigerated trailer from the shippers. Once they hit the primary and are unloaded the packages are handled at the same temp as any other until you deliver it.

We have a very large shipper in which UPS provides either company-owned or leased (not sure which) 48'/53' refrigerated trailers. The shipper then fills the trailers, and they're hauled directly to some of the larger UPS hubs around the country by either UPS feeder drivers or contractors. I have absolutely no idea how these trailers are returned to the shipper -- the business is heavily tilted toward spring/summer/some fall and never receive these trailers in our facility -- expect during peak during peak season, when we routinely receive one nearly every day from CACH (and at least one from another hub) that's then hauled back to the shipper. When CACH sends the load to us, I assume they turn off the refrigerant, but the trailer's usually dripping water throughout -- which is why I assume UPS would prefer not to use them for regular use -- and well-insulated as it's freezing. I'm somebody who loves the cold, and hardly ever wears a winter jacket, but I need one for those trailers...