One truck · 6% of gross
Reefer dispatch for the owner-operator with one truck
You're a reefer owner operator: one tractor, one trailer, your own MC, and every bad load comes out of your pocket. We plan your week around home time, hold every load to the minimum rate you set (reefer fuel included), and handle the broker side. You approve every load.
Your week with a dispatcher
Built around your home time, not the other way round
Home time is the first thing we ask about. The run days get filled with loads that keep moving you forward, and the last load of the run points toward home. Try your own schedule in the planner. The plan it shows is an example of how we sequence loads, not a promise of what the market will have that week.
Tap the days you want at home
Example week- MonLoad 1 out
- TueLoad 2
- WedDeliver + reload
- ThuLoad 3
- FriLoad toward home
- SatHome
- SunHome
5 run days. We plan the last load of the run to deliver close to home, and if nothing decent heads that way, we tell you early rather than stranding the truck.
Minimum rate including reefer fuel
The one number that protects a one-truck operation
Reefer fuel never shows up on a rate con, but it comes out of every load. So does the dispatch fee. Put your own costs in and this gives you the rate per loaded mile below which a load loses money. That number becomes the floor we negotiate from. For a fuller look at a single load, use the rate per mile and load profit calculator.
Example defaults, replace with your numbers
$2.87/loaded mi
- Load must pay
- $2,586
- Reefer fuel
- $55 ($0.06/mi)
- Dispatch fee
- 6% of gross
Formula: (cost/mi x all miles + reefer gallons x price + profit x loaded miles) / (1 - fee). An estimate, not advice.
Earnings, with example numbers
How much do reefer owner operators make?
Nobody can honestly give you one number. Two owner-operators on the same lanes can end a month thousands apart because of fuel economy, truck payments and how much deadhead they run. What we can show you is the shape of the math. The P&L here uses example numbers for one truck and one month; swap in your own.
For the gross side, our reefer rates guide lists current public averages with dates. For reefer fuel, see how a reefer unit works.
- Gross load pay
- $34,000
- Tractor fuel
- - $10,900
- Reefer fuel
- - $1,450
- Insurance
- - $1,900
- Truck payment
- - $2,600
- Trailer payment
- - $1,100
- Maintenance reserve
- - $1,700
- Tolls, permits, plates
- - $600
- Dispatch at 6%
- - $2,040
- Before owner pay and taxes
- $11,710
Example numbers to show the structure, not a projection, an average or a promise of income.
Starting a reefer operation
How to start a reefer trucking business, in the order it usually happens
- 01
USDOT number and MC authority
Register with FMCSA for a USDOT number and interstate for-hire operating authority (your MC). We dispatch only under your own authority.
- 02
Process agents (BOC-3)
File a designation of process agents for every state you operate in, required before authority is granted (49 CFR Part 366).
- 03
Insurance on file
Federal minimum liability for general freight is $750,000 (49 CFR 387.9). Reefer brokers commonly ask for $1,000,000 liability, $100,000 or more in cargo, and reefer breakdown coverage.
- 04
Registrations and tax accounts
IRP plates, an IFTA account for tractor fuel, UCR, and a heavy vehicle use tax filing if your tractor qualifies. Your state's DMV and tax department run these.
- 05
Drug and alcohol program
Join a consortium for testing and register with the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse before you drive under your own authority.
- 06
Equipment that passes a shipper's eye
A clean, food-grade 48 or 53 ft reefer, a unit that holds setpoint and downloads its temperature record, load locks or straps, and a probe thermometer for pulp temps.
This is general information, not legal or insurance advice; confirm requirements with FMCSA and your state. Once the authority is active, the next things to learn are how reefer freight brokers vet a new carrier and where the reefer loads come from.
Fee and onboarding
6% of gross, and only on loads you haul
No setup fee, no minimum, no contract. Cancel with 30 days notice. If you add a second truck, both trucks move to 5% (limited-time fleet rate). The details are on the pricing page, and the onboarding steps show what happens after you apply. For everything else, start at the reefer dispatch overview.
Owner-operator questions
How much do reefer owner operators make?
It depends on the lanes, the season, how many miles you run, and your costs, so any single number is a guess. What you can control is the math: gross minus fuel (tractor and reefer), insurance, equipment payments, maintenance and fees. The sample P&L on this page shows the structure with example numbers. Public rate data, like the weekly averages in our reefer rates guide, tells you the gross side; your own records tell you the rest.
How do I start a reefer trucking business?
Get a USDOT number and MC authority, file a BOC-3, put insurance on file (federal minimum $750,000 liability; reefer brokers usually want more plus cargo and reefer breakdown coverage), set up IRP, IFTA and UCR, join a drug and alcohol consortium, and buy or lease a tractor and a food-grade reefer. Then line up brokers or a dispatcher. The steps are listed in more detail on this page.
Do I need my own authority to use your dispatch service?
Yes. We dispatch carriers under their own MC. If you're leased to another carrier, that carrier handles your loads, and we can't dispatch you.
What minimum rate should I set for my reefer?
One that covers your cost per mile on loaded and empty miles, the reefer fuel the load will burn, the dispatch fee, and the profit you want. The calculator on this page does it in one line. We use your number as the floor for every load we pitch you.
Can I keep my own broker relationships?
Yes. Tell us which brokers you already haul for and we'll work with them first. Your setups are under your MC, so they stay yours if you ever leave.
Sources
- 0149 CFR 387.9, minimum financial responsibility, for-hire property (nonhazardous), GVWR 10,001 lb or more · current regulation · checked October 2026
- 0249 CFR 366, Designation of process agent · current regulation · checked October 2026
- 0349 CFR Part 382, Controlled substances and alcohol use and testing · current regulation · checked October 2026
Doors open
Get a dispatcher for your one-truck reefer
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.