Reefer dispatch that keeps two engines on schedule

Reefer dispatcher: freight we look for

• Produce. Fresh fruit and vegetables, often seasonal and regional, with tight pickup windows.
• Frozen. Frozen food and ice cream at deep set points, where a unit failure is expensive.
• Meat and dairy. Chilled freight with strict temperature ranges.
• Pharmaceutical and sensitive goods. Where your equipment, records and qualifications meet the shipper's requirements.

Each offer includes the commodity, the set point or range, whether the unit runs continuous or cycle, and any pre-cool requirement. Our reefer temperature guide lists common ranges, but the shipper's instructions on the bill of lading always govern.

Set points, pre-cooling and records

Most reefer claims come down to temperature. Pre-cool the trailer when the shipper asks, check the set point against the bill of lading before you leave, and keep the unit's download or temperature record for the load. If the shipper loads product warmer than the set point, note it on the paperwork before you sign. Food shipments also fall under the FDA's sanitary transportation rule, which covers temperature control and trailer cleanliness.

Detention burns fuel on a reefer

Waiting at a dock costs a reefer more than time, because the unit keeps running. Produce sheds and grocery warehouses are known for long waits. We check detention terms before we pitch a load and ask for your check-in time when you arrive. If the wait runs past the free time, we file the claim and keep after it.

Lumpers at grocery and produce docks

Grocery and produce receivers often use lumpers. The cost usually ends up with the shipper or receiver, but you may pay at the dock and get reimbursed. We confirm that the rate confirmation covers lumper reimbursement before the load reaches you. Your job is the receipt.

Produce seasons and reefer rates

Reefer demand moves with harvests and holidays, and different regions peak at different times. That makes reefer rates swing more than dry van in many lanes. We look at where produce is moving now and where the truck will land, so the outbound load sets up the reload instead of stranding you in a market that just went quiet.

What every reefer offer includes

A reefer offer without the temperature details is half an offer. Before one reaches you, we get the commodity, set point or range, continuous or cycle mode, pre-cool requirement, pallet count and weight, pickup and delivery windows, detention terms, lumper arrangement and the rate. You check it against your unit and trailer, then decide.

Washouts and a clean trailer

Food shippers can reject a trailer that smells, has debris or shows residue from the last load. Some require a washout ticket. We look at what you hauled last before we offer the next load, and when a wash is needed we count it in the plan so it does not cost you an appointment. Keeping drains clear and seals in good shape also helps the unit hold temperature.

Fuel planning for the reefer unit

The unit burns its own fuel, and a long frozen run or a long dock wait can drain the tank. Running out of reefer fuel with a load aboard is an expensive mistake. We look at load length, expected waits and fuel stops on the route when we plan, and we tell you about long waits before you accept so you can fuel ahead.

Home time and reefer fleets

Reefer freight can pull a truck far from home, especially in produce season. Tell us your home base and the nights you want there, and we plan loads that turn back in time, with the reload set before you deliver. For small fleets we stagger truck PMs and unit services so you are never down two reefers in the same week. Two or more trucks pay the 4% fleet rate while it lasts.

What we ask on the first call

On the first call we want your trailer length and type, the reefer unit make and model, its current engine hours and next service due, the lowest set point you are comfortable running, whether you carry a temperature recorder or download records, and any commodities you will not haul. We also ask about your lanes, home time and floor rate. That way the first offer already fits both engines, the trailer and the way you like to run.

Tell us about your cargo insurance too, including reefer breakdown coverage, because some shippers check it before they release temperature-controlled freight.

A reefer week on our desk

An EXAMPLE week for one reefer, not a real result. Monday we offer a chilled grocery load with detention terms confirmed and lumper reimbursement on the rate confirmation; the owner accepts. Tuesday the receiver holds the truck five hours, so we file detention while the unit keeps the load cold.

Wednesday we have a produce reload lined up out of the delivery region, with a pre-cool requirement passed along. Thursday the reefer unit hits its service hours, so we routed the reload to deliver near the dealer the owner uses. Friday the truck is home. The report shows two loads, the fees and the detention claim.

Reefer on a new authority

Temperature-controlled freight is valuable, so some shippers and brokers are cautious with new carriers. Cargo coverage often needs to include reefer breakdown. We start new MCs with brokers who accept them and loads with forgiving temperature ranges. See dispatch for new authorities.

When the truck or the reefer unit fails

A reefer breakdown has a clock on it, because the freight warms. Get safe, check the unit and the temperature record, and call the desk. We contact the broker, explain what happened and what the shop or unit dealer is saying, and work through the options. Outcomes depend on the broker, the product and the repair time, so we give you straight answers.

When we are not the right fit

If you have a dedicated produce or grocery contract that fills your week, keep it. If your trailer is shorter than 26 ft, we cannot dispatch it. We are most useful when dock waits, lumper receipts and two service schedules are taking time away from driving and resting.