Reefer
What is reefer? A reefer is a refrigerated trailer with an onboard cooling unit, used to haul temperature-sensitive freight like produce, meat, dairy, and pharmaceuticals.
Full definition
Reefer trailers cost 50-100% more than dry vans and add a fuel-burning refrigeration unit that must be maintained on top of the trailer itself. The payoff is access to temperature-controlled freight, which pays meaningfully more per mile than dry van.
Reefer carriers face additional operational risk: temperature compliance, FSMA documentation, and shipper rejection on out-of-spec loads. Insurance carriers price this in.
Produce season — May through August in most regions — drives reefer rates above the rest of the year and shifts capacity continent-wide.