Pre-cool and continuous run
Most claims start with a trailer that was not pre-cooled or was set to cycle instead of continuous. We confirm the required mode in writing on the rate confirmation, because verbal instructions are worthless in a claim.
Reefer dispatch
Reefer dispatch services: pre-cool discipline, claim-proof paperwork, produce-season lanes
Temperature-controlled freight pays more and demands more. Continuous monitoring, pre-cool discipline and claim-proof paperwork.
- Typical market range $2.65 – $3.20 per mile
- Common lane: Salinas → Chicago (in season)
- Common lane: McAllen → Atlanta
The short answer
How does reefer dispatch actually work?
Reefer dispatch pays more because it demands more. Most claims start with a trailer that was not pre-cooled or was set to cycle instead of continuous run. MSM Transit confirms the required mode in writing on the rate confirmation and checks the BOL temperature matches before you roll.
Who we dispatch: Dry Van, Reefer, Flatbed, Step Deck, Conestoga, Power Only, Hotshot, Box Truck, RGN / Lowboy and Heavy Haul — every rig longer than 26 ft, new authorities included. Not a fit: sprinter vans, cargo vans and 16 ft box trucks.
What we handle
The details that decide whether a reefer load is worth taking.
Every equipment type has a handful of factors that separate a profitable load from a bad one. These are the ones we screen before a load reaches you.
- Produce season lane planning
- Temperature recorder and pre-cool documentation
- Claim-resistant BOL handling
Typical market range
Reefer rate per mile
$2.65 – $3.20typical market range, all miles
Where a specific load lands inside that range is decided by the things above: the lane, the season, the reload, and who is negotiating. Check a specific lane, or send us the load.
An estimate to orient you, not a quote and not a promise.
What moves a reefer rate
Three things that decide what this freight pays
Generic dispatch treats every trailer the same. These are the reefer-specific factors we argue on, load by load.
Temperature recording
A downloadable temperature record is your defence against a rejected load. If the receiver disputes product temperature and you have no trace, the claim is effectively decided.
Wash-outs and prior product
Some shippers require a wash-out receipt and a prior-product declaration. That is unpaid time unless it is negotiated up front as an accessorial.
Lanes we work for reefer
Representative corridors for this equipment — the kind of lanes a strategy for it is built around.
- Salinas → Chicago (in season)
- McAllen → Atlanta
- Yakima → Dallas
- Lakeland, FL → Northeast
Seasonality
California and Arizona produce runs March through October; Florida citrus and vegetables December through April. Rates in produce lanes can move 30% in a two weeks.
What we watch for on reefer loads: Loads where the temperature on the BOL differs from the rate confirmation. Stop and get it corrected before you roll — that discrepancy is where claims are won and lost.
Services applied
How we dispatch reefer freight
The same services every carrier gets — but these three are the ones that decide a reefer account.
Documentation
We pair this with reefer because a temperature record is your defence in a claim.
How it worksBroker Negotiation
We pair this with reefer to get wash-outs and pre-cool time paid as accessorials.
How it worksTruck Dispatch
We pair this with reefer for produce-season lane planning.
How it worksWorth reading alongside this: Deadhead math: why a $3.10 load can pay less than a $2.60 load.
Dry van vs reefer: which is more profitable for an owner operator? · How do detention and layover pay work in trucking?
60-second request
Get reefer lane rates for your market
Tell us where you run. We will send the current booked ranges for your lanes.
Other equipment
We dispatch mixed fleets too.
Running more than one trailer type is normal. One account, one dispatcher, one invoice — with the right playbook applied to each truck.
Terms
How reefer dispatch with us works, in plain terms
The same terms for every equipment type. Compare them line by line with any dispatcher you are considering.
| MSM Transit | |
|---|---|
| How you are charged | A percentage of gross on the loads we book, quoted for your operation in writing before you sign |
| Accessorials | Not commissioned. Detention, layover, TONU and other accessorial pay is yours |
| Setup fee | None |
| Monthly minimum | None. If your truck does not run in a week, that week is not billed |
| Loads you find yourself | Not billed |
| Contract | Week to week; either side can end it with 15 days written notice |
| Forced dispatch | Never. You approve every load before it is booked |
| Your broker relationships | Stay yours, including if you leave |
| Trucks per dispatcher | No more than 4 |
| Hours | Desk staffed 24/7, including nights, weekends and holidays |
| Reporting | A written scorecard every week |
| Authority | We work under your operating authority. We are not a broker and not a carrier |
| Equipment and size | Dry Van, Reefer, Flatbed, Step Deck, Conestoga, Power Only, Hotshot, Box Truck, RGN / Lowboy and Heavy Haul, every rig longer than 26 ft |
| New authorities | Welcome, on the same size rule |
| Not a fit | Sprinter vans, cargo vans and 16 ft box trucks |
| Coverage | All 48 US states and all 10 Canadian provinces |
The percentage itself is quoted for your operation, in writing, before you sign.
Free dispatch audit
Let's price your reefer lanes.
Send your last 10 reefer loads. We will show you the rate we would have negotiated on each one, and where loads where the temperature on the BOL differs from the rate…
- Reply within 1 business hour
- First load usually booked in 24 hours
- Cancel with 15 days notice, any time