REEFER / FRESH, FROZEN, DRY BACKHAUL

Reefer dispatch that keeps the unit earning

Reefer pays more when it moves temp freight and costs more when it sits. We book the produce, protein and frozen loads, fill the gaps with dry backhauls, and put the set temp on every rate con you sign.

Keep my reefer loaded

AN EXAMPLE WEEK

Produce out, dry freight back

An example, not a client story. A reefer based near Atlanta in early summer. Monday it loads produce in south Georgia at 34 degrees and runs to a grocery DC in Ohio. Midweek the Ohio market has little temp freight going south, so instead of deadheading, it takes a dry load of packaged goods in the reefer with the unit off.

Thursday it picks up frozen food at minus 10, and Friday it delivers back near home. Tap each day to see the load, how long the unit ran and how long the truck waited at docks.

MON / REEFER AT 34F

Tifton GA to Columbus OH

Produce, continuous mode, pulp temps checked at pickup. Shipper ran 3 hours late; detention filed.

Reefer unit running: 14 h. Waiting at docks: 3 h.

THE WEEK, TOTALS

Reefer hours: 35
Dock waiting: 8.5 h
Reefer fuel, at your inputs: $179

Gal per hour$ per gallon

EXAMPLE INPUTS, EDIT TO YOUR UNIT

WHAT WE CHECK

A reefer dispatcher reads the fine print

Temp freight has more ways to go wrong. These are on our list before any reefer load reaches you, and all of them end up on the rate con you sign.

Set temp and mode

The exact temperature and whether the unit runs continuous or cycle. Produce often needs continuous; mixing them up can ruin a load.

Pulp temps

For produce, check the product temperature at pickup and write it on the bill of lading. If the shipper loads it warm, that note protects you.

Pre-cool and washout

Some shippers require a pre-cooled trailer or a washout receipt. We confirm it before you head to the pickup.

Lumpers

Grocery receivers use them a lot. Reimbursement terms confirmed and receipts sent in with your paperwork.

Appointments

Food DCs run tight windows. We confirm times, push back on bad ones and keep the broker updated if you are running late.

Fuel for the unit

Reefer fuel is a real cost, especially on long waits. We count it when we price a load. Estimate yours with the trip fuel cost calculator.

More on the equipment: how reefer units work, dry van vs reefer and the trip fuel cost calculator.

FOOD SAFETY, PLAINLY

Refrigerated truck dispatch and the FDA rule

Food that needs temperature control falls under the FDA's sanitary transportation rule. For carriers it comes down to a few duties: keep the trailer clean and fit for food, pre-cool it when the shipper requires, and be able to show the temperature during the trip when asked.

In practice that means a unit that can download its temperature history, washouts when a shipper asks for them, and paperwork that says what temperature was set. We check what each shipper requires before you sign, so you show up with the right trailer.

01Clean, odor-free trailer fit for food
02Pre-cool when the shipper requires it
03Set temperature on the rate con and the bill of lading
04Temperature records you can provide on request

SOURCE: eCFR, 21 CFR 1.908 (FDA sanitary transportation), CHECKED OCTOBER 2026. SUMMARY, NOT LEGAL ADVICE.

PRODUCE SEASONS

Follow the harvest

Produce freight moves with the growing seasons. Winter and early spring lean on the far south and border crossings, then the season works north and west through summer. When a region is shipping hard, reefer rates out of it usually firm up, and when it quiets down, they fall.

We plan your reefer around that calendar: position you near busy shipping areas when they peak, and lean on protein, frozen and dry backhauls when they don't. You decide how far from home you will chase a season.

DRY BACKHAULS

An empty reefer earns nothing

Some markets ship plenty of temp freight out and very little back. Deadheading home costs fuel and time. A dry load in the reefer, with the unit off, often beats it, even at a lower rate per mile.

We compare the two for you: the all-in rate on the dry backhaul against the cost of the empty miles. If dry wins, we book it and tell the broker it is a reefer trailer, because the inside is a little narrower and shorter than a dry van.

ON FILE

What we ask about your reefer

Brokers ask these before they hand over a food load. Having them ready on the intro call means your packet clears faster and you get offered better freight.

Unit make and year
Newer units hold temp better on long runs; some shippers set a minimum year.
Temperature download
Whether your unit can produce a temperature record for the trip, and how you send it.
Reefer breakdown coverage
Many food brokers ask for it on top of cargo insurance. We check your limits against theirs.
Trailer length and floor
Most reefers are 53 ft; we note the inside length and any floor ducting that limits pallets.

FEE AND QUESTIONS

A reefer dispatcher at 5%

The same rate card for every truck. See the full breakdown on dispatch cost.

THE EXAMPLE WEEK, FEESEXAMPLE

Gross, three temp loads + one dry: $8,300
Our fee at 5%: $415
A 10% desk: $830

Kept+$415

01How much does reefer dispatch cost?

5% of gross for one reefer with an MC at least 6 months old, 7% while your MC is newer, and 4% for two trucks or more. No setup fee and no contract. Dry backhauls in the reefer pay the same percentage.

02Can a reefer haul dry freight?

Yes. A reefer trailer with the unit off, or set to protect from freezing, can carry most dry van freight. Many reefer owners run dry backhauls out of markets where temp freight is thin. We book them when they beat deadheading and tell brokers it is a reefer so the dimensions are not a surprise.

03Who pays lumper fees?

Usually the broker or shipper, by reimbursing you when you send the receipt, and grocery receivers use lumpers a lot. We confirm the lumper terms before you sign, arrange a comcheck when the broker provides one, and make sure the receipt goes in with your paperwork.

04How do you handle detention on reefer loads?

We log your arrival against the appointment, keep the broker updated while you wait and file the claim when free time ends. Reefer waiting also burns fuel to hold temp, so we push for detention terms on the rate con before you sign, not after you have been sitting for hours.

05Can a new MC get reefer loads?

Yes, though some food shippers want a track record and specific cargo coverage. We start with brokers that book new reefer authorities and set up your packet with the temperature records and coverage they ask for. Your fee is 7% until month 6.

06Do you book produce seasons?

Yes. Produce moves north with the growing seasons, from southern states and Mexico border crossings in winter and spring to northern and western growing areas in summer. Those seasons can pay well. We plan around them, and around the slow months between them, so your reefer stays busy.

07Do you dispatch frozen and protein loads?

Yes. Frozen food and meat need tight temperatures, clean trailers and a unit that holds steady for days. We match those loads to reefers that are set up for them and check the temperature terms and any pre-cool requirements on the rate con.

08Will you send me loads with the set temp on the rate con?

Every reefer load we book has the set temperature, continuous or cycle mode, and any pre-cool requirement on the rate confirmation that comes to you. If any of those is missing, we get it added before you sign.

TEMP SET, TRAILER CLEAN?

Keep the reefer cold and paid

Apply in two minutes. We plan your first temp load and the backhaul with you, and every rate con comes to you with the set temp on it.

Book my first reefer load

ONE WEEK AT $8,300 GROSSEXAMPLE

DESKFEEYOU PAY

HAULTERMINAL5%$415

TYPICAL DESK8%$664

TYPICAL DESK10%$830

Fee on gross load revenue, only on loads you haul. 7% while your MC is under 6 months.