Reefer loads: finding them, pricing them, and running them without a claim
Steve Woods · Lead Dispatcher, TruckSprint
Steve Woods leads the TruckSprint dispatch desk and reviews every guide we publish. How we research and update guides.
Updated October 2026
Quick answer
Reefer loads are temperature-controlled freight hauled in a refrigerated trailer. You find them on load boards with reefer filters, through produce and food brokers, and directly from packing houses and cold storage. Price them with the reefer unit's fuel and dock time counted, pre-cool to the shipper's set point, follow the written temperature and airflow instructions, and keep temperature records for every load.
Reefer freight is some of the most steady work in trucking, and some of the most unforgiving. One bad temperature reading can turn a good load into a claim worth more than the load paid. I'm Steve, lead dispatcher at TruckSprint. Reefer is one of the eleven equipment types we dispatch, and this is how we find, price and protect reefer loads.
What makes reefer different
- The unit is a second engine. It burns its own fuel, needs its own maintenance, and keeps running while you wait at a dock.
- The shipper sets the rules. Temperature, airflow mode and pre-cool are in their instructions, and you're expected to follow them exactly.
- Timing is tighter. Produce and food run on appointments, and receivers can reject late or warm freight.
- Claims are expensive. A rejected load can mean paying for the freight, the disposal and a second truck.
Where reefer loads come from
- Load boards with reefer and temperature filters. See best load boards for how to choose one.
- Produce and food brokers who specialize in temperature-controlled freight.
- Direct shippers: packing houses, growers, food processors, cold storage warehouses and grocery distribution centers.
- Seasonal regions. Reefer volume follows the harvest north through the year; our freight seasonality calendar shows the pattern.
- A dispatcher with relationships in those markets, who plans your reload before you deliver.
What a reefer load really costs
The rate has to cover two engines, not one. Put in your own numbers, including your unit's fuel burn from its records:
Reefer load math. EXAMPLE values
- Truck fuel
- $954
- Reefer fuel
- $99
- All-in rate
- $2.60/mi
- Left after costs
- $447
The unit adds $0.110 per loaded mile here. Every extra hour it runs at a dock costs $4.96 in fuel. Pre-cool and detention time count.
Two things stand out on most loads: the deadhead to the pickup, and the hours the unit runs while you wait. A six-hour dock wait costs reefer fuel on top of your clock, which is why detention terms matter more on reefer; see the detention pay guide. Check the whole trip's rate with the rate per mile calculator.
Food safety rules for carriers
FDA's Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food rule applies to shippers, loaders, carriers and receivers. A carrier's specific duties apply when its written agreement with the shipper makes it responsible for sanitary conditions (21 CFR 1.908(e)). Then the carrier must:
| Duty | Rule |
|---|---|
| Meet the shipper's equipment and sanitary specifications | 1.908(e)(1) |
| Pre-cool each refrigerated compartment as the shipper specifies before loading | 1.908(e)(3) |
| Give the receiver the operating temperature on request, and show the shipper or receiver that you held it | 1.908(e)(2) |
| Keep written procedures for cleaning, inspecting and temperature control | 1.908(e)(6) |
| Train drivers on sanitary transport when hired, and keep training records | 1.910 |
| Keep procedure and training records for 12 months beyond their use | 1.912 |
Source: 21 CFR 1.900-1.934 (FDA Sanitary Transportation rule), eCFR · checked 2026-10
The rule also says that if anyone becomes aware of a possible temperature-control failure, the food can't be sold until a qualified person decides it's still safe (1.908(a)(6)). In practice, that's how a warm reading turns into a rejected load.
Running a reefer load right
- Read the instructions before you arrive. Set point, continuous or cycle mode, and pre-cool requirements are on the rate con, bill of lading or shipper's instructions.
- Pre-cool the trailer to the set point, and make sure it's clean and dry. Shippers can and do reject dirty or warm trailers.
- Check product temperature at loading if you're allowed to, and write it on the BOL. Note any warm pallets before you sign.
- Don't block the airflow. Load patterns that cover the return air or pack tight to the ceiling cause hot spots.
- Run the mode on the paperwork. If it says continuous, run continuous.
- Keep the download. Many units log temperatures; save the data for every load, so you can show you held the set point.
- Seal and document. Record seal numbers, and don't break a seal without the broker's okay.
Avoiding claims
- Never accept a load without a written set point. If the paperwork is blank, call the broker before you leave.
- Note problems at pickup. Warm product, damaged pallets or a late load from the shipper goes on the BOL.
- Fuel the unit. Running out of reefer fuel is one of the most avoidable claims.
- Service the unit on schedule. A breakdown in July is a claim; a service in February isn't.
- Check your cargo policy. Some policies exclude spoilage from a reefer breakdown unless you add coverage; see commercial truck insurance.
- Communicate early. If the unit alarms, call the broker right away and follow their instructions; silence makes a small problem a big claim.
Reefer pays for the extra care it takes. The carriers who do well with it price the unit into every rate, keep their records clean, and never treat a set point as a suggestion.