Reefer rates
DAT's national average reefer spot rate for September 2026 was $3.62 per loaded mile with fuel, about $0.60 above dry van. The extra pays for the reefer unit's fuel, the equipment and the risk. Know your own cost per mile, because reefer fuel and higher insurance mean your break-even is higher too.
What we check on every reefer rate con
- Temperature and whether it's a set point or a range
- Continuous or cycle mode
- Pre-cool requirement before you back in
- Pulp temps at pickup, written on the BOL, with a photo
- Seal number on the BOL and never broken
- Temp recorder or download requirements
- Lumper terms and who pays
- Detention rate and free time
- Fines for late arrival, missed appointments or tracking
Your driver gets the ones that matter in one text: pickup, delivery, temp, mode, and what to photograph.
Where reefer drivers lose money
- Claims. A load rejected for temperature can cost more than the load paid. Pulp at pickup and refuse product that's already warm.
- Waiting at cold storage and grocery DCs. Hours of detention nobody claims.
- Lumpers paid without approval that never get reimbursed.
- Running continuous when cycle was fine, burning reefer fuel for nothing.
- Chasing high rates into weak markets and deadheading out.
How TenFour dispatches reefers
Every truck gets its own dispatcher who knows your lanes, your minimum and your home time. We book reefer loads at or above your minimum, judge every load on rate per total mile with deadhead included, read every rate con for the details above, and chase detention with timestamps. Brokers pay you directly.
Questions
What do reefer loads pay right now?
DAT's national average reefer spot rate for September 2026 was $3.62 per loaded mile with fuel, against $3.01 for dry van. Your lane can be well above or below that.
What's the difference between continuous and cycle?
Continuous runs the reefer unit all the time and keeps air moving, which most produce and sensitive loads need. Cycle (start-stop) turns the unit on and off to hold temperature and saves fuel. The rate con or BOL should say which. If it doesn't, ask before you load.
Should I pay a lumper?
Only if the rate con covers it or the broker approves it first, and always get a receipt. Call your dispatcher before you pay so it gets reimbursed.
Who pays for detention at cold storage?
If the rate con has detention terms, the broker does after the free time, usually 2 hours. You need your in and out times, ideally signed on the BOL, and the broker told before the free time ends.
Want a dispatcher who works for your margin?
Every truck gets its own dispatcher. We judge every load on rate per total mile, deadhead included, and never book under your minimum. Brokers pay you directly.