Reefer loads: what to watch for

Reefer freight is paid temperature management. On the same lane, refrigerated loads usually post above dry van because the trailer carries costs a van never sees: unit fuel, temperature liability, washouts, and slow docks.

The rate only works if those costs are inside it. Here is what to check before you book a reefer load, with numbers where solid numbers exist. For how reefer stacks up against van and flatbed overall, start with the equipment basics guide.

Get the temp in writing, and in the right mode

The rate con should name a set point, not "keep it cold." A 34°F product and a 28°F product are different loads and different claims when something goes wrong, so match the rate con temp to the BOL before you leave the shipper.

Mode matters as much as the number. Continuous mode holds a steady temperature for sensitive produce; cycle (start-stop) mode saves fuel but lets the box swing a few degrees. If the shipper requires continuous, that is extra unit fuel, whether or not the rate reflects it.

Temperature liability can eat the whole load

A temp claim is not a small deduction; a rejected load can cost the entire invoice plus disposal. Protect yourself with a paper trail: pulp the product at pickup, note the reading on the BOL, and keep your reefer unit's download for the trip.

Check your cargo policy for reefer breakdown coverage and what it requires, because some policies want maintenance records before they pay a claim. This is educational content, not legal or insurance advice.

Washouts and pre-cool happen before the rate starts

Produce shippers can reject a trailer that isn't clean or isn't at temp when you arrive. A washout is a real line item, and pre-cooling to set point burns unit fuel, and both happen before the load pays you anything.

Ask two questions before you commit: does this shipper require a washout, and who pays for it. If the rate con is silent, assume you are paying.

Detention and lumpers run heaviest on reefer

ATRI's detention research, released in September 2024, found refrigerated trailers were detained on 56.2% of stops in 2023, the highest share of any trailer type, against 39.3% for all stops. Grocery warehouses and produce sheds are where those hours pile up.

Get the detention clock and the hourly amount into the rate con, and handle lumper fees the same way: broker pays direct, or reimburses against a receipt. The details are in detention and accessorial pay.

What the extras do to the rate

The example below uses EIA's July 6, 2026 on-highway diesel average of $4.57 a gallon; the unit hours and burn rate are example figures, so swap in your own.

That dime disappears before any washout or extra hour at a produce shed. If a reefer rate doesn't clear your dry-van math by a healthy margin, the load isn't paying for the trailer.

Produce seasons move the reefer market

Reefer demand follows harvests. When a region's produce volume ramps up, outbound reefer demand there climbs with it and the van-to-reefer spread widens; when the season winds down, it fades.

You don't need to track that by hand. The monthly market read folds USDA produce movement data into one page, so you can see whether reefer demand in a region is building or fading before you commit to a lane.