Refrigerated (Reefer) Trucking
Reefer truckload and refrigerated LTL capacity for refrigerated food, perishables, and temperature-controlled freight. Pre-vetted carriers, pre-conditioned equipment, real-time monitoring, and FSMA-aligned handling.
Refrigerated trucking, commonly called reefer trucking, is the temperature-controlled transport of cargo using insulated trailers equipped with active refrigeration units. The reefer maintains the cargo at the shipper-specified setpoint throughout transit. Reefer is the workhorse equipment of cold chain shipping, handling everything from fresh produce to dairy to packaged refrigerated food to certain pharmaceuticals.
Ready 2 Xecute (R2X) arranges reefer trucking as part of our temperature controlled shipping portfolio. R2X sources pre-vetted reefer carriers with verified maintenance records and active insurance. Trailers are pre-conditioned to setpoint before loading, monitored continuously in transit, and equipped with backup power and redundant refrigeration systems.
What Reefer Trucking Is
A reefer trailer is an insulated trailer with an attached refrigeration unit that maintains a specified internal temperature throughout transit. The unit cycles to hold the trailer at setpoint regardless of outside temperature. R2X’s network handles:
- Refrigerated cargo (typically 34 to 38 degrees F) for chilled food, dairy, and produce
- Chilled cargo (32 to 50 degrees F) for products with broader temperature windows
- Frozen cargo (0 degrees F and below) for frozen food, ice cream, and certain biologics
- Deep frozen cargo (below -20 degrees F) for select pharmaceuticals and specialty cargo
- Controlled room temperature, or CRT (59 to 77 degrees F) for products that cannot be exposed to heat or cold extremes
- Multi-zone configurations for cargo with mixed temperature requirements on a single load
Reefer is different from cold chain shipping as a category. Reefer describes the equipment and service. Cold chain describes the temperature-sensitive use case the equipment supports. A reefer trailer carrying paper products is refrigerated freight but not part of a cold chain. A cold chain shipment of pharmaceuticals may use reefer equipment but adds validation, monitoring, and documentation requirements beyond standard reefer trucking. See our cold chain shipping page for the full picture.
Our Refrigerated Services
R2X arranges reefer capacity across the range of refrigerated freight needs.
Reefer Truckload (FTL)
Full truckload temperature controlled shipping for shippers who need dedicated reefer capacity. R2X sources pre-vetted reefer carriers with verified maintenance records and active insurance. Trailers are pre-conditioned to setpoint before loading and monitored continuously in transit. Available for dry goods requiring CRT, fresh and chilled goods, and frozen freight.
Refrigerated LTL
For temperature sensitive shipments that don’t require a full trailer, R2X arranges refrigerated less-than-truckload (LTL) through our network of vetted temperature controlled LTL carriers. Refrigerated LTL is ideal for smaller volumes of food-grade freight, pharmaceuticals, and specialty products moving on regular lanes where shared capacity reduces cost without compromising temperature integrity.
Multi-Zone Capacity
Multi-temperature trailer configurations capable of maintaining different temperature ranges in separate compartments simultaneously. Critical for shippers moving mixed product lines with different temperature requirements on a single load. All climate controlled trailers in our network feature continuous sensor arrays, digital logging for compliance documentation, and backup systems for extended transit.
Cross-Border Refrigerated
Cross-border reefer movements into Mexico and Canada with temperature continuity maintained through the border crossing. The border lanes are where reefer freight is most vulnerable to temperature drift; coordinated handoffs and pre-planning protect the load.
Temperature Control and Monitoring
Reefer trucking is only useful if the temperature actually stays in range. R2X’s network follows the procedures that make that happen:
- Pre-loading verification: R2X confirms the assigned carrier has pre-conditioned the trailer to the required setpoint, verified with calibrated sensors, before loading begins
- Setpoint validation: the unit is set to the temperature the shipper specified, with documentation that travels with the load
- Real-time monitoring through carrier telematics and temperature logging systems
- Excursion alerts and operations response: if a temperature deviation occurs, R2X’s operations team is alerted immediately and responds (adjusting setpoints, rerouting to the nearest cold storage facility, or dispatching backup coverage)
- Digital temperature logs generated for every shipment for compliance and audit purposes
- Delivery documentation: temperature record provided at delivery, supporting receiver acceptance and FSMA recordkeeping
For freight with higher validation requirements (pharmaceuticals, certain biologics, validated food shipments), reefer is the equipment layer underneath a more demanding cold chain process. See our cold chain shipping page for the full picture on temperature-sensitive freight that needs more than standard reefer.
What We Move
R2X’s reefer network supports a wide range of refrigerated and frozen freight:
- Fresh produce, fruits, vegetables, and other produce requiring chilled transport
- Dairy: milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, and other dairy products
- Fresh meat and poultry, seafood requiring strict temperature control
- Frozen food: frozen vegetables, frozen prepared foods, ice cream, frozen meat (see our frozen and perishable transport page for specifics)
- Packaged refrigerated food and beverages
- Pharmaceutical cargo at CRT, 2 to 8 degrees C refrigerated, and frozen pharma lanes (see cold chain shipping for GDP-compliant pharmaceutical transport)
Cold Chain and FSMA Compliance
Reefer trucking for food and beverage freight is subject to the FSMA Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food rule. All food-grade temperature controlled carriers in R2X’s network comply with FDA FSMA Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food requirements, including equipment maintained to food-safe standards, documented temperature controls, prevention of contamination and cross-contact, personnel training, and recordkeeping.
For shippers whose freight crosses the broader food-grade discipline (dry, refrigerated, and bulk liquid food and beverage), see our food-grade transport hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is reefer trucking?
Reefer trucking is the temperature-controlled transport of cargo using insulated trailers equipped with active refrigeration units. The unit maintains the trailer at a shipper-specified temperature setpoint throughout transit. Reefer is the equipment workhorse of refrigerated and frozen freight.
What temperature does a reefer trailer maintain?
Reefer trailers maintain whatever setpoint the shipper specifies. Refrigerated freight typically runs at 34 to 38 degrees F. Chilled freight runs at 32 to 50 degrees F. Frozen freight runs at 0 degrees F and below. Deep frozen runs below -20 degrees F. Multi-zone trailers can maintain different setpoints in different zones simultaneously.
What's the difference between reefer trucking and cold chain shipping?
Reefer describes the equipment (refrigerated trailer) and the service (temperature-controlled trucking). Cold chain describes the broader temperature-sensitive use case, including validation, monitoring, documentation, and excursion response. All cold chain freight uses temperature-controlled equipment like reefers; not all reefer freight is part of a formally validated cold chain.
Do you provide real-time temperature monitoring?
Yes. R2X provides continuous monitoring through carrier telematics and temperature logging systems. Temperature data is captured throughout transit and provided at delivery. If a temperature deviation occurs, our operations team is alerted immediately and responds.
Is reefer trucking FSMA-compliant?
All food-grade temperature controlled carriers in R2X’s network comply with FDA FSMA Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food requirements. That covers equipment maintenance, temperature controls, contamination prevention, personnel training, and recordkeeping aligned to the rule.
Can you handle both refrigerated and frozen in the same load?
Yes. R2X arranges multi-zone trailer capacity that maintains different temperature ranges in separate compartments simultaneously. Multi-zone trailers let distributors move chilled and frozen cargo on the same shipment rather than splitting across separate trailers.
Get a Refrigerated Trucking Quote
Tell us what you are shipping, the temperature range required, the lanes, and the frequency. R2X will match your refrigerated freight to pre-vetted reefer capacity, with the pre-conditioning, real-time monitoring, and documentation that refrigerated and frozen freight requires.
Get A Quote
Call (855) 729-5521 or request a quote online.