What is the ideal set up for pulling a 53ft reefer?

I'll answer 2 of your questions. 1, hardly anybody likes to load a 48. I hate 53s, but most brokers and shippers insist on them.
2, roll up doors are for pickup and delivery. Often the opening is not the full height of the opening, and reefer roll doors don't insulate as well as swing doors.

Others will be around to answer your other questions.

 

Ya...It Sucks..But,53 Swings are bigger...and hold more...easier to unload..all that

 

You want regular doors.

If you are up and down the coast to the NE from Florida, you are going to be looking for flatland mainly with at least 500 hp and at least 1600 torque for the occasional hill.

A 53 volume holds more than a 48 but a 48 might get into places better than a 53, vermont comes to mind.

There is a Orange Juice Train that is one of the hottest schedules anywhere that leaves Florida at least once daily for NJ. They package into Orange juice there.

We did not haul oranges often, but the ones we have done were for groups of people, schools and churches selling them for fundraising in the NE several trips out of Florida. Making for really interesting LTL type multi stop trips delivering to single family homes for example. Which isnt natural for a big rig in our case.

Have a good sleeper. You will be waiting sometimes while loading in Fla.

 

Some brokers won't load roll up doors.
Van or reefer.
It affects the entrance volume of the rear of the trailer cubes and they love the term MAX CAPACITY.
It's rare that they ever actually need it.. but I've ran into it when I used to pull lots of roll ups years ago.