Reefer loads, read before booked
Reefer loads that pay for the fuel, the risk and the wait
There's no shortage of reefer loads on the boards. The work is in picking the ones that cover reefer fuel and deadhead, carry fair detention terms and don't hide a 2 a.m. appointment. Our desk reads every rate con, negotiates the rate and books only what you approve.
- Reefer spot
- $3.66/mi
- Van spot
- $3.09/mi
What to check before booking
Seven lines on a reefer rate con that decide if a load is good
A reefer load has more fine print than a dry van load. Here's a sample rate confirmation with the lines our dispatchers read before your phone rings.
What we check: Temperature
34°F, continuous
Setpoint and mode come from the shipper's instructions, and they have to match on the rate con and the bill of lading. If the rate con says 34°F and the BOL says 36°F, we get it corrected before you load, not after a claim.
What we check: Pre-cool
Trailer pre-cooled to setpoint
Under the FDA sanitary transportation rule, a carrier responsible for temperature control pre-cools as the shipper specifies. We remind you with enough lead time that the box is at setpoint when you back in.
What we check: Pulp temps
Driver to record pulp temps at pickup
A pulp reading is the temperature inside the product. If it's warm at loading, that's the shipper's problem, but only if it's written down. We tell you how many readings the broker wants and where to note them.
What we check: Appointments
PU 05:00-07:00 / DEL Thu 22:00
We check that the delivery appointment works with your hours of service and that a missed early pickup doesn't push the delivery into a dead window. Bad appointment math is the most common reason a good-paying load becomes a bad week.
What we check: Lumper
Receiver uses lumpers, reimbursed with receipt
Who pays the lumper, how much is covered, and what receipt the broker needs. We get the reimbursement terms in writing before you're standing at the receiver's window.
What we check: Detention
2 hrs free, then $50/hr
Free time, the hourly rate and how detention has to be reported. We log your in and out times and notify the broker when the clock starts so the claim holds up.
What we check: Rate
$3,950 all-in
We compare the rate to the lane, the deadhead to get there, the reefer fuel it will burn and what the delivery market looks like for a reload. Then we counter. You approve the final number.
Tap a line on the rate con to see what we look at before you say yes.
Where reefer freight comes from
Refrigerated freight shippers, and the brokers between you and them
Most spot reefer loads reach owner-operators through brokers. Behind every broker load is a shipper with a dock, a schedule and a temperature spec. Knowing who that shipper is tells you a lot about wait times and claims. If you want the basics of what counts as refrigerated freight and the rules around it, our refrigerated freight guide covers them.
Produce shippers and packing sheds
Grower-shippers in California, Arizona, Florida, Texas, Georgia, Washington and Michigan, loading by season.
Food processors and distributors
Meat and poultry plants, dairies, frozen food makers and the distribution centers that feed grocery chains.
Cold storage warehouses
Public refrigerated warehouses that hold frozen and chilled product and ship it out on appointment.
Freight brokers
Most spot reefer freight moves through brokers who post on load boards or call carriers they already know.
Produce vs frozen vs dairy
Three kinds of reefer load, three different risks
Produce loads
Fresh fruit and vegetables. Setpoints are usually above freezing and the shipper often wants continuous mode so air keeps moving through the load. Pulp temps, pre-cooling and tight appointments matter most, and claims usually come from temperature or delays. Seasonal: the volume moves around the country with the harvest.
Typically 32 to 55°F by commodity
Guidance only. The shipper's instructions on the BOL and rate con always win.
Frozen loads
Meat, seafood, ice cream, frozen vegetables. Product loads frozen and the box has to hold it there; USDA's food safety guidance treats 0°F as the line for frozen storage, and many frozen loads are set colder per shipper instructions. Less sensitive to small swings than produce, very sensitive to a unit failure.
Often 0°F or colder per the shipper
Guidance only. The shipper's instructions on the BOL and rate con always win.
Dairy loads
Milk, cheese, yogurt, butter. Steadier volume through the year than produce, often multi-stop deliveries into grocery distribution. Clean, odor-free trailers and on-time deliveries keep you on the shipper's good list.
Chilled, per the shipper
Guidance only. The shipper's instructions on the BOL and rate con always win.
Avoiding claims
Most reefer claims are lost before the truck moves
When a receiver rejects a load for temperature, the carrier's defense is paperwork: the setpoint on the BOL, pulp temps at pickup, the seal number, a unit download showing it held. We make sure those exist on every load we book for you.
- Setpoint and mode match on rate con and BOL, or we get it fixed before loading
- Pulp temps recorded at pickup and noted on the BOL
- Trailer pre-cooled when the shipper asks for it
- Seal number photographed at pickup and delivery
- Unit download saved if a receiver raises a temperature issue
- Delays reported to the broker in writing, with times
How we book reefer loads
Reefer loads for owner-operators, planned two loads ahead
Reefer hauling pays when the truck keeps moving. We search the boards and call brokers and shippers we work with, but the bigger lever is sequencing: we look at where a load delivers before we pitch it, so you're not paid well on Tuesday and stranded on Wednesday.
Then we negotiate. A posted rate is an opening number. We counter with the lane, the deadhead, the reefer fuel and the reload market in mind, and you see the final rate before anything is booked. Want to vet a load yourself? The reefer rate per mile and load profit calculator does the math. Curious how the boards and brokers work? See our guides to reefer load boards and reefer freight brokers.
- Commodity
- Table grapes, 34°F cont.
- Posted rate
- $3,700
- Rate after negotiation
- $3,950
- Loaded / deadhead miles
- 1,850 / 40
- Rate per loaded mile
- $2.14
- Our fee at 6%
- $237
The fee
6% of gross for one truck, 5% per truck for 2 or more (limited-time fleet rate). Only on loads you haul. See reefer dispatch pricing or how onboarding works.
Reefer load questions
What is a reefer load?
A reefer load is a shipment that has to stay at a set temperature during transport, hauled in a refrigerated trailer with its own diesel or electric cooling unit. The shipper sets the temperature and mode on the bill of lading and rate confirmation, and the carrier has to hold it from pickup to delivery.
Are reefer loads hard to find?
Not usually, but good ones go fast. In DAT's Oct 10-16, 2026 data the reefer spot market had 15.8 loads per truck posted, compared with 9.7 loads per truck for dry vans. More loads per truck doesn't mean every load pays, which is why we read the terms and negotiate.
What is a pulp temperature?
The temperature inside the product itself, taken with a probe thermometer, as opposed to the air temperature in the trailer. Shippers and brokers often ask the driver to record pulp temps at pickup so a load that was warm before it was loaded isn't blamed on the carrier.
Do I need a food-grade trailer to haul reefer loads?
For food, yes in practice. The FDA sanitary transportation rule requires vehicles that are cleanable and kept in sanitary condition, and shippers routinely reject trailers that smell, leak or show damage. Many shippers also ask for a washout before loading. If your trailer has hauled non-food, tell us before we pitch you food loads.
Can a new MC get reefer loads?
Yes, though some brokers won't load carriers until the authority has been active for a set time. New authorities usually start with brokers that onboard new carriers and build history from there. Our rate is the same either way.
Who pays the lumper on a reefer load?
It depends on the rate con. Often the carrier pays at the receiver and the broker reimburses with the receipt, sometimes the receiver bills the broker directly. We confirm the terms before you book so you aren't out of pocket without a way to get paid back.
New to the equipment side? Read what a reefer truck is and how the unit works, or see the reefer dispatch service overview.
Sources
- 01DAT reefer load-to-truck ratio, reported by AJOT · Oct 10-16, 2026 · checked October 2026
- 0221 CFR 1.908, Requirements applicable to transportation operations (carrier paragraph e) · current regulation · checked October 2026
- 0321 CFR 1.906, Requirements applicable to vehicles and transportation equipment · current regulation · checked October 2026
- 04USDA FSIS, Freezing and Food Safety · FSIS page · checked October 2026
- 05UGA Extension Circular 1205, Quick Storage Guide for Vegetable Crops (reviewed Aug 2026) · reviewed 2026-08-25 · checked October 2026
Doors open
Let our desk find your next reefer load
6% of gross for one truck, 5% per truck for 2+ trucks (limited-time fleet rate). No setup fee, no contract, cancel with 30 days notice. You approve every load.