Reefer Running Cost, how do you figure it?

[greg334]

I was asked this morning about the different ways to figure out the operating cost of a reefer. I explained how I figure against the money I need for my maintenance account and the drive time hours plus 12% of uptime for warm up (cool down) plus the cost of fuel into the tank (not Reefer fuel)

So how do you guys/gals with reefers figure out what it takes to accept that reefer load?

 

[davekc]

If just looking at the operating part, we use to use a chart that was based on the average outside temp and what the box had to be at. That would tell us the run hours and we knew what the fuel usage per hour was so we took that and added it to the run just for a minimum. Still have to account for the maintenance and other costs. Total cost was 30 percent above a standard rate. If it is a fleet truck, it has to be above that because you are passing a percentage of that to the driver. In that case you are losing revenue if you can't stay above that number. Some might argue differently, but that is the formula we used when we had them.

 

[greg334]

Thanks Dave,
A chart like you are talking about was brought up but no one seems to have been able to find where to get it from and I haven't thought much of it, do you have one in electronic form you could send me?

 

[davekc]

No, but I have seen them at some reefer sales places. Carrier or ThermoKing should have one. I will have to look, as the ones we did have could be scanned. They were laminated and cooling was on one side and when you flipped it, heating was on the other.

 

[greg334]

Thanks, I will call Carrier tomorrow.

 

[davekc]

Just an afterthought, the ones we had were for a 40 ft trailer.
We just divided the numbers in half for our estimates. Not exact, but close enough for what we were using them for.
It also had a square foot estimator front and back which we guessed at as well. EX. is the box a third full, or virtually empty.