Reefers
Reefer dispatch that protects your appointments, your temps and your reloads
Reefer loads pay more because more can go wrong: a missed appointment, a temp out of range, a shipper who loads four hours late. Your dispatcher picks loads with realistic windows, confirms temps and detention terms before you commit, and books the reload while you're still loaded. You confirm or pass every load. 5% of gross with 6+ months of authority.
Load offer · Example
1 of 2
Fresno, CA to Phoenix, AZ
53 ft reefer · Produce, 34°F continuous
- Loaded
- 590 mi
- Deadhead
- 25 mi
- Rate
- $2.80/mi
All-in with deadhead: $2.68/mi
- Gross
- $1,650
- Dispatch fee 5%
- -$83
- You keep
- +$1,567
Every load comes to you like this. You confirm or pass, and the rate con goes straight to you.
Refrigerated truck dispatch vs doing it yourself, for one reefer week
Same truck, same week. Here's who does what.
| You do it all | TruckSprint reefer dispatch | |
|---|---|---|
| Finding loads | Board searches between stops | Boards and broker contacts, filtered by your temps and specs |
| Appointments | You call to set and reset them | We set, confirm and reschedule with the receiver |
| Temp requirements | Read off the post, if listed | Confirmed with the broker before you see the offer |
| Temperature records | You pull them when asked | We remind you to save the download on every load |
| Detention claims | If you have time to fight it | Clock tracked, claim filed with timestamps |
| Reloads | Usually after delivery | Booked before you deliver |
| Who decides | You | You confirm or pass every load |
| Cost | Your time | 5% of gross on loads you haul |
What a planned reefer week looks like
Produce out west, a reload east, a frozen leg, a dairy run toward home. Four loads, each confirmed by the driver, with Friday for unit service and home time.
Reefer, one truck, home Friday
ExampleMon
Fresno, CA → Phoenix, AZ
$1,650 · 590 mi
Produce, 34°F
Tue
Phoenix, AZ → El Paso, TX
$1,050 · 430 mi
Booked Monday
Wed
El Paso, TX → Dallas, TX
$1,550 · 635 mi
Frozen, -10°F
Thu
Dallas, TX → Memphis, TN
$1,200 · 452 mi
Dairy, 36°F
Fri
Reefer service, home time
- Gross
- $5,450
- $2.59/mi loaded
- Fee 5%
- -$273
- You keep
- +$5,177
- before fuel and costs
Fuel for the reefer unit is its own cost. Add it to the truck's fuel with the trip fuel cost calculator before you judge a rate.
The cost reefer owners forget: the unit's own fuel
A reefer load has two engines burning diesel. Here's an EXAMPLE produce load with both counted.
The truck's fuel is easy to estimate from miles and mpg. The reefer unit's fuel depends on the set point, the outside temperature, continuous or cycle mode, and every hour you sit at the dock with the unit running. A long wait at a receiver isn't just lost time, it's fuel burning for nothing.
That's why reefer detention matters more than on a dry van, and why we push for it to be written into the rate con. It's also why a slightly lower rate with a drop trailer can beat a higher one with a six-hour live unload.
Fresno to Phoenix, 590 mi
Example- Gross
- $1,650
- Fee 5%
- -$83
- Truck fuel est.
- -$354
- Reefer fuel est.
- -$47
- You keep
- +$1,166
Reefer dispatcher: the freight we book
Fresh produce
Seasonal by region, sensitive to temps and appointment times. Pays well when the harvest is moving.
Frozen foods
Steady year round. Deep set points, strict pre-cool requirements.
Dairy
Short shelf life, tight delivery windows, often repeatable lanes.
Meat and protein
Heavy loads with strict temps and frequent receiver inspections.
Floral
Fast, seasonal and peak-heavy around the holidays.
Temperature-protected freight
Beverages, chemicals and goods that can't freeze in winter or bake in summer.
“Reefer loads always come with long waits.”
Plenty do, especially at produce sheds and grocery warehouses. The fix is choosing: favoring shippers with drop trailers or good records, getting detention on the rate con, and planning the next pickup with a cushion. Whatever we know about a shipper's waits goes on the offer before you confirm.
Reefer seasons: when freight moves and when it slows
Reefer volume follows harvests. Produce shipping builds in spring, peaks through summer in many regions and shifts south and to imports in winter. Frozen and dairy freight is steadier year round, and holiday food shipping picks up late in the year.
For current conditions, the USDA publishes a weekly fruit and vegetable truck rate report by shipping region, and DAT Trendlines tracks national reefer spot rates. We read both before planning your weeks.
In the slow stretches, we lean on frozen, dairy and protein freight, and on dry backhauls when the math beats sitting. You'll see each option and decide.
What a reefer dispatcher watches on every load
- 01
Temperature and mode
Set point, continuous or cycle, pre-cool requirements. Confirmed before the offer reaches you, not at the dock.
- 02
Pulp temps and paperwork
Note product temperature at pickup on the bill of lading when you can. If the shipper won't, write that down too.
- 03
Your unit's download
Save the temperature record for every load. Under the FDA's sanitary transportation rule, carriers may need to show temperature records when they've agreed to control temps.
- 04
Appointment windows
Realistic with your hours. A receiver who refuses a late load can cost you the whole trip.
- 05
Lumpers and washouts
Who pays, how you get reimbursed, and whether the next shipper needs a washout ticket.
Reefer dispatcher questions
How much does reefer dispatch cost?
5% of gross on loads you haul once your authority is 6 months old, 7% before that, and 4% per truck for fleets of two or more. No setup fee, no minimums. See the fee schedule.
Can a new MC get reefer loads?
Yes, though some reefer brokers set an authority-age minimum and want proof of reefer breakdown coverage on your cargo policy. We send your packets to brokers that set up new reefer carriers first, and we tell you which coverage brokers ask for.
Who pays lumper fees?
Usually the shipper or receiver through the broker, but the rate con decides. Commonly you pay at the dock or with a broker payment code and get reimbursed with the receipt. We confirm lumper terms before you confirm the load.
How do you handle detention on reefer loads?
We get free time and the hourly detention rate on the rate con before you confirm, log arrival and departure times, and file the claim with them. Reefer detention matters more than most, because the unit burns fuel the whole time you sit.
Do you dispatch 26 ft reefer box trucks?
Yes, if the box is 26 ft. Refrigerated 26-footers run local and regional food, dairy and floral freight. They're billed at the box truck rate of 7%. We don't dispatch reefer boxes shorter than 26 ft or refrigerated vans.
Do reefer loads pay more than dry van?
Usually yes, per mile, because of the equipment, fuel for the unit and the extra risk. But reefer weeks can include longer waits and stricter appointments, so compare by the hour and all-in with deadhead, not just by the posted rate.
Keep the unit running and the truck loaded
No setup fee. No contract. No haul, no pay.