Equipment
Reefer Dispatch Services
Reefer pays more than dry van, and it asks more in return. Temperature compliance, longer detention at produce sheds, and washouts between loads all eat into a day.
Reefer is also the most seasonal equipment on the road. Knowing that Washington apples run in autumn, that Nogales fires up in November, and that the Central Valley peaks in summer is the difference between chasing loads and being positioned ahead of them.
Freight We Book On Reefer
- Fresh produce
- Meat and poultry
- Dairy
- Frozen goods
- Pharmaceuticals
- Temperature-sensitive beverages
What We Watch On Every Load
- Continuous versus cycle temperature settings
- Pre-cooling requirements before loading
- Extended detention at produce facilities
- Washout requirements between commodities
- Rejected load and claims exposure
The market
What Running Reefer Is Actually Like
Reefer pays more than dry van and asks more in return. Temperature compliance is on you, detention at produce sheds is routine rather than exceptional, and washouts between commodities cost time that no rate line item covers.
It is also the most seasonal equipment on the road, and that seasonality is geographic. Washington apples in autumn, the Rio Grande Valley from late autumn through spring, the Central Valley through summer, Idaho potatoes after harvest. Knowing where the produce is moving is most of the job.
The operational risk profile is different too. A dry van load that arrives late is a scheduling problem. A reefer load that arrives warm is a rejected load, a claim, and potentially a relationship ended. Reefer download printouts and pre-cooling are not paperwork formalities — they are your defence when a receiver disputes temperature on arrival.
Carriers who run reefer well tend to be the ones who treat the cold chain as the product rather than an inconvenience attached to a better rate.
What Moves The Rate On Reefer
Season and direction, overwhelmingly. During a regional produce peak, outbound rates from that region can run far above the annual average while inbound stays soft. Beyond that: multi-stop deliveries, continuous versus cycle temperature requirements, and whether detention terms were agreed before you accepted a load into a shed known for long queues.
Seasonality
Reefer seasonality is the strongest pattern in trucking. Nogales fires up around November. The Central Valley peaks May through October. Washington tree fruit runs August through November. Being positioned ahead of a produce season rather than chasing it after rates have already moved is worth more than any negotiating technique.
33 states
Where Reefer Demand Is Strongest
These states show structurally elevated reefer demand based on their dominant industries. Each page has current freight market data for that state.
Other equipment
We Also Dispatch
Dry Van
Dry van dispatch across the USA — the highest-volume equipment type with the widest freight availability.
Flatbed
Flatbed dispatch for steel, building materials, machinery and open-deck freight.
Step Deck
Step deck and drop deck dispatch for taller freight that will not clear on a standard flatbed.
Power Only
Power only dispatch — pulling shipper or broker-provided trailers without owning the box.
Box Truck
Box truck and straight truck dispatch for regional, expedited and final-mile freight.
Questions
Reefer Dispatch — Common Questions
Do I need reefer download capability?
Increasingly yes. Many shippers and receivers require a temperature download as proof the cold chain held. Without it you are relying on the receiver’s word in any dispute, which is a poor position when a claim runs into thousands.
How do you handle produce detention?
We agree detention terms before accepting a load into a facility known for long queues, and we get them onto the rate confirmation. Produce sheds run on their own schedule, and hours spent waiting are paid or unpaid depending entirely on what was agreed beforehand.
Can I run reefer loads dry?
Yes, and plenty of carriers do to fill gaps. It gives you access to dry van freight when reefer is soft, though you are carrying reefer fuel and maintenance costs against dry van rates, so it is a stopgap rather than a strategy.
Try it first
See It Before You Commit
We do not publish rates, because the honest answer depends on your equipment, your lanes and how you run. Instead we offer a free trial week: we find you a reefer load, negotiate the rate, dispatch it and handle the broker. If the week justified it we carry on. If not, you owe nothing and you keep the revenue.
Running reefer? Let's get you loaded.
Talk to a dispatcher today. No long-term contract, no obligation on the first call.