What is Reefer Trucking?

If you've been in the trucking business for a while, or are just starting out, then you may have heard of "reefer freight." Reefer freight is one of the main types of transportation running on highways. In fact, reefer trucks haul over 90 percent of the food Americans eat today.

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Reefer Trucking Freight: What Is It?

Reefer freight gets its name from the abbreviation of “refrigerated.” If you need to keep your cargo at a specific temperature during transport, you'll ship it in a reefer truck. Reefers can come as full or partial trailer-loads and less than truckload (LTL) lots.

Temperature-controlled freight can be classified into three main categories: frozen, refrigerated, or maintained (heated). Products shipped under these conditions include food items, manufacturing chemicals, and pharmaceuticals.

Pros And Cons Of Reefer Freight

Different factors dictate whether reefer freight trucking is the right business for you. If you're a new driver just starting out or an experienced owner-operator looking to grow your business, weigh these pros and cons:

Pros

A Lot Of Work Available

Compared to other types of transport, reefer freight is more consistent and faster to recover from down economic cycles. The consistent need for essentials like food, water, and medicine prevent any severe drops in demand. The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was hard on many industries, but reefers bounced back quickly.

Despite the holidays and changing seasons, the demand for temperature-controlled supplies remains steady. Reefer drivers transporting these types of shipments can rely on consistent work week in, week out, all year long.

Cargo Prices Are Higher

Refrigerated shipments typically pay more than dry van freight because the items being transported often require sensitive temperature control. For example, most food and beverage companies ship their goods in a refrigerated trailer kept at 32-36°F, which is about the same temperature as your fridge at home. Alternatively, most frozen trucks operate at -10°F. Some chemicals and pharmaceutical products require very low temperatures, such as the -80°C to -60°C (-112°F to -76°F) range needed for the transport of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Reefer trailers not only function as refrigerators in hotter weather but also act as heaters in colder weather to keep cargo warm during transport. This averts freezing or other thermal damage for merchandise such as food, alcohol, chemicals, and electronics that are temperature-sensitive. Since reefer shpments are delicate and temperature-regulated, it takes additional care to transport them. This involves using specific equipment to monitor and maintain the correct temperatures.

Because refrigerated cargo is often more valuable than dry freight, shippers are typically willing to pay higher rates for this type of shipment.

Pickup And Delivery Is Easier

Grocery chains, distribution centers, and food processing facilities typically have loading docks that are well organized and handle thousands of pounds of cargo daily. The result is easy and hassle-free loading and unloading.

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Fewer Deadhead Miles

Reefer trucks incur fewer deadhead miles for two reasons.

With plenty of reefer freight shipments available, drivers are less likely to have any empty spaces between jobs. An abundance results in more density, so you won't have to go very far for your next pick-up.

Reefer units don't necessarily have to be used for refrigerated products only. If you find that your refrigerated products are going one way and dry products are going back the other, you can simply turn off the generator and run the trailer on the return journey with dry products. Reefer trucks usually have equivalent interior space as compared to dry vans.

Cons

Long Wait Times and Pre-Cooling Requirements

There are several reasons why picking up temperature-controlled freight is more time-consuming. For starters, you need to ensure that your trailer is cooled to the appropriate temperature before the dock manager at your pickup location can load their cargo. They will take your temperature as well. If you forgot to pre-cool the unit and your yard is close to the pick-up location, you'll be waiting for a while. Groceries often ship on smaller skids or crates which take longer to load. If the freight is dangerous (chemicals) or fragile (cases of glass bottles or eggs), it will take more time to load.

Early Bird, And Night Owl

It's rare to see a reefer truck making deliveries to grocery stores or dairies in the middle of the day. Not only does it become more difficult to keep the cargo cool during unloading hours, but most stocking happens after store closures. This typically occurs early morning and/or late evening. This means that drivers considering reefer trucks may end up working unconventional hours.

Additional Vehicle Maintenance

Having a refrigeration unit means your rig is more complex and, as such, takes more time to maintain. You'll have to frequently check the cooling unit's condition, make sure all fluids are at the right levels, and inspect all hoses for damage. Your trailer's heating and cooling system must be well-maintained, or you could lose an entire shipments. Reefer cargo usually means more mess than dry cargo, so if you choose these loads, get ready to become good friends with your hose and the inside of your trailer.

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Additional Expenses

Although you may have to pay for trailer cleaning up front, some shipping companies will reimburse you later. So, it's important to keep your receipts!

A lumper is a third-party operator who unloads or loads your trailer for money. Always get a receipt when you pay a lumper. You can often negotiate the price ahead of time, but if you forget to factor that into your quote or, worse, lose the receipt, you’ll end up footing the bill yourself.

Chances Of Spoiled Freight

A reefer driver knows all too well the frustration and anger of a spoiled load. Not only is the smell an unbearable nuisance, but cargo that has left the required temperature window because of a breakdown can cost a fortune.

You can avoid having your groceries refused by the store by examining your shipment before it leaves and when it arrives. Grocery stores will often not accept food that is spoiled or not within the ideal temperature, so checking beforehand can save you a lot of trouble.

At Revolution Trucking, we pride ourselves on our 99.8% no-freight-claims rate. If you have mission-critical refrigerated freight that needs shipped safely and on time, count on Revolution to get it done.

Additional Insurance

Although it can be pricey, buying reefer breakdown insurance is a good idea. You will most likely need to keep extensive and meticulous logs to guarantee that the coverage provider assists you when necessary.

Best Practices When Transporting Reefer Freight

By following the best practices below, reefer drivers and transport companies can reduce their negatives, increase their reputation among shippers, and ultimately make more money.

The best reefer truck operators always know to:

Prepare For Temperature Requirements

Beforehand, determine the temperature requirements for your load. Will it need to be just refrigerated or completely frozen? Do you have to maintain heat? What is the acceptable range of temperatures? Set up your unit ahead of schedule so that everything goes according to plan.

In addition, ascertain whether your cargo is perishable. The company you are sending your cargo to might only accept items within a set time frame from when they expire. You can find that information in the lading instructions. Review your shipment to guarantee that the receiving party will consent to the delivery.

Plan Ahead and Pre-Cool Your Trailer

In addition to the point above, ensure you set your trailer and get it up to operating temperature before you arrive at the pick-up.

Work Quickly When Loading and Unloading Your Reefer

This can be a difficult task, as you must balance the needs of fragile cargo with speed and efficiency. The longer your trailer doors are open, the harder it is to maintain temperature. Make sure the dock manager is ready to load your cargo before you open the doors and back up to the dock.

Shipments Should Be Monitored Closely

Prior to pick-up, and during shipment, fit your unit with a temperature gauge. This will allow you to always know what the temperature is inside your trailer - adding an extra layer of security. Furthermore, by using climate monitoring tools, you can be certain that your trailer is in the correct zone at all times.

Jumper Cables Are an Essential

If the reefer's battery fails while your load is in transit, it could be ruined by the time help arrives. To avoid this outcome, keep a set of good quality jumper cables on hand to connect the tractor and reefer systems until assistance comes.

Reefer trucking is a vital part of the food and drug supply chain, and it's important to know how to transport refrigerated freight correctly. By following the best practices listed in this article, reefer drivers can reduce the chances of spoiled cargo, make more money, and maintain a good reputation among shippers.

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Very informative, thanks for sharing.

I knew there would be someone giving a good review about new reefer trailers. So fuel efficiency and reliability then. 10K hassle free hours translates into about 3-4 years of usage? I value the reliability even more than fuel efficiency, so much less stress. I did not know that it takes a while to get one after ordering.
Good to know. Thank you!

Since I'm the cheapest driver on payroll, I got to haul the first new trailer on the regular. My usual run is a turn around with frozen product on board for 2.5-3 days -10ºF cycle, then usually produce or dairy for 2.5-3 days 34ºF continuous. I hit the hour service interval right at the one year mark. In my case, I expect right at 3 yrs before the new trailer smell wears off. The unit should be at around +/- 15k hrs when it's time to sell, so still marketable life remaining.

You probably ought to study the warranty on whatever new reefer unit you decide on carefully. Mainly so you know what to expect (or not). Thermo King stages it out in 4 phases. Nose to fuel tank for the first 2k hrs, then progressively less is covered to 4k, 6k, and at 8k the warranty ends. I've always had the best uptime from TK units, so I never considered or looked into a new Carrier.

All that said, even new stuff can break down. For the first 3-4 months my first one had an ongoing high pressure transducer fault causing the continuous set point to drift a few degrees upward for a short time at random. Long story short, it involved about 10 attempts by the dealer to get it working right. The second unit has been trouble free since day 1. Apparently the fault on the first one was one of 3 or 4 nationwide, so it was a rare problem. I have a good relationship with my dealer, so trust and agree with their assessment of a short term part supply issue that has since been resolved. Or I wouldn't have bought another one.

What you are saying is another level of expertise. For example, what you mentioned in your earlier post about an owner operator specked reefer paused me to think about it, that is that a reefer could be specked towards specific needs. Also, it seems that a reefer unit is not just another motor with compressor, there is much more to it....pressure transducer for instance (I have to look it up honestly). So studying refrigeration, or how those units work they way the are programmed (towards frozen freight, or towards produce) seems inevitable. I like the idea of owning something brand new, as I know that that it would be only myself responsible of the unit and how the trailer is handled. I yet have to determine, if it is financially doable for me.
I hauled reefers as a company driver for 8 years until . Most of them were old clunkers in which a attached remote temp sensors inside and tried to monitor and control the temperatures like that. I'm somewhat missing all that Salinas produce loading hell and ... I have to admit, missing California country site a little too.

All excellent points. I really wanted to spec a lift axle, disc brakes, and two rows of e-track in the walls. All that would have added around $3-4k to my out the door price, but would have taken 5-6 months for delivery. I'm not customizing for a particular product/shipper, so the compromise was take a stock unit that was reasonably well equipped (a few extra lights, thermoguard liner, aluminum outside wheels, auto inflation system, skirts) and get it in one month or less. I'm gonna let it go in 5 years, so it's not exactly like I'm stuck with it for life. Then maybe next time I'll be in a better position with the current trailers to plan ahead with the custom order I really want.

Likewise, the reefer unit comes with a good, but generic setup that will probably suit you for all sorts of products. Most of the customizations are not worth the time and money it takes to set them up.

Funny you mention Cali. We don't haul much west of I-35, but I spec'd S-series reefer units that are indefinitely Cali compliant. So I can get an edge on the sale to the next owner. I could have saved a few thousand by buying C-600 units, but that would have made the resale drop even more since they would only have a couple years of Cali compliance left before an emissions/engine upgrade would be needed.

I'll re-state what @Scooter Jones mentioned: it's a chunk of change to get into, that isn't on the same level as trading $15k beater trailers. Definitely a big step up in commitment. If you are willing and can pull it off, the reliability and fuel saving benefits are worth it IMO.

I can't get home every single weekend anyway. Can't find such an efficient loop.There is just no way to get anything decent to get back to Chicago towards a weekend. So many times i simply deadheaded for as long as 500-700 miles just to get home and with ELDs now that is stupid in the long run. LOL. In other words, I need to work over some weekends to make ends meet.