Reefer dispatch that plans where the unit runs at night
A reefer never really parks. The unit keeps running, the load keeps its temperature, and the appointment is often at 04:00 in a city where the receiver will not let you wait. Our reefer dispatch desk books the freight, checks the temperature and the timing, and plans each night around a place you can stop with the unit on. You approve every load.
Produce, frozen, dairy, meat and other temperature-sensitive freight in 53 ft reefers. Same fee tiers as every truck we dispatch.
5% of gross for one truck, 4% for 2+, 7% while your MC is under 6 months. No haul, no pay.
Parking with the reefer running
Parking a reefer is parking a truck plus a running diesel engine on the trailer. Most truck stops are used to it. Some neighborhoods and a few cities are not, and a handful of local rules name refrigeration units directly, either to limit them near homes and schools or to exempt them from an idling limit.
Pick where you are spending tonight. The card gives the checks we would run through on the phone with you, and the local rules that mention reefer units, with the code each one comes from.
RUNNING-UNIT PARKING CARD
Where are you parking with the unit running tonight?
- Fuel the reefer tank before you park, not just the truck
- Use the reefer rows if the lot posts them, and stay out of rows signed no-reefer
- Park nose to nose with other reefers where you can, away from the sleeper rows
- Check the unit's set point, mode and fuel level before you lie down
- Set a phone alarm for the unit's alarm codes if your telematics sends them
| Place | What the rule says about reefers |
|---|---|
| Salt Lake County, UTUNIT EXEMPT | 2-minute idling limit; powering a refrigeration unit is listed as an exemption. Cited: Salt Lake County Health Department Regulation #22 4.1.1. |
| Park City, UTUNIT EXEMPT | 1-minute idling limit; powering auxiliary equipment including refrigeration units is exempt. Cited: Park City Municipal Code 9-10. |
| Sandy City, UTUNIT EXEMPT | 1-minute idling limit; powering auxiliary equipment including refrigeration units is exempt. Cited: Sandy City Traffic Code 14-7-8. |
| Summit County, UTUNIT EXEMPT | 1-minute idling limit; powering auxiliary equipment including refrigeration units is exempt. Cited: Summit County Code 6-4-1. |
| Burlington, VTUNIT EXEMPT | 3-minute idling limit; refrigeration units are listed as an exemption. Cited: Burlington Code of Ordinances 20-55(e). |
| Madison, WIUNIT EXEMPT | 5 consecutive minutes; powering auxiliary equipment including refrigeration units is exempt. Cited: City of Madison Code of Ordinances 12.1291. |
| Vail, COUNIT EXEMPT | No unattended idling in Lionshead or the commercial core; refrigeration vehicles are exempt. Cited: Vail Town Code 5-1-8. |
POSTED: ATRI, Compendium of Idling Regulations (June 2025) · checked 2026-10. The cited code governs.
Do idling laws apply to reefer units?
Mostly, idling laws are written about the truck's main engine, not the separate diesel engine that runs a trailer reefer. That is why so many state and city rules either say nothing about reefers or list powering a refrigeration unit as an exemption. If your reefer runs off the truck's engine rather than its own, though, idling the truck to keep it cold can count as idling under some rules.
A few local rules go the other way and limit the reefer unit itself. In the ATRI compendium, Sacramento bans running one within 100 ft of a home or school unless you are loading or unloading, and Placer County and Auburn set that distance at 1,000 ft. Those are the places a quiet-looking side street can turn into a ticket.
Rules change, and a compendium is a reference, not the law. Before you plan a night somewhere new, check the posted signs and the cited code. Our idling laws by state guide lists the statewide limits, and the idle cost calculator shows what an hour of idling costs you in fuel.
See idling laws by state, or price a night of idling with the idle cost calculator.
Lot policies, as posted
Truck stops set their own reefer rules, store by store. Some post rows for reefers so the sleeper rows stay quieter, and some rows are signed for no reefers at all. Follow the signs on the lot, and if a store page lists parking details, read them before you arrive. Shippers and receivers are even more varied: some let you wait with the unit running, many do not.
Running a reefer in California
California has a statewide rule for transport refrigeration units on top of the local limits. It covers diesel reefer units operating in the state, and units are registered through the state air board's ARBER system. Before a California load, check your unit's status with the air board's TRU compliance search. Some shippers and brokers ask for it before they tender the load.
POSTED: CARB, Transport Refrigeration Unit program (13 CCR 2477 to 2477.24) · checked Oct 2026
Reefer dispatch vs booking your own loads
Running your own reefer loads is doable, and plenty of drivers do it well. Here is the honest comparison:
| Doing it yourself | With HaulStop | |
|---|---|---|
| Finding loads | Boards at night, after the unit is checked | We search through the day while you drive |
| Temperature and mode | You read it off the rate con at pickup | We confirm it before we pitch the load |
| Appointments | You take what the receiver gives | We ask for times that fit your clock |
| Overnight before delivery | Sorted out on the last day | Planned before you accept |
| Who decides | You | You. Every load waits for your yes |
| Rate confirmation | Sent to you | Sent straight to you |
| Detention and lumpers | You chase them | We claim them for you |
| Cost | Your evenings and a board subscription | A percentage of gross on loads hauled, from 4% to 7% |
What a reefer dispatcher handles differently
Temperature first
Set point, continuous or cycle, and any pre-cool requirement go on the offer, so there are no surprises at the shipper.
Pickup timing
Produce sheds load late and load slow. We ask how long the shipper usually takes and build that into the day.
The night before delivery
Early appointments are normal for reefer freight. We plan the stop near the receiver before you say yes, not after you arrive.
Reefer fuel
A long wait burns reefer fuel. We plan fuel stops so the unit tank is not the thing that ends the trip.
Claims protection
We remind you to get temperatures and seal numbers on the bills, which is what protects you if a load is questioned.
Reloads that fit
Reefers can haul dry freight too. When reefer loads are thin out of a market, we look at dry loads before you run empty.
Refrigerated truck dispatch: the freight
Refrigerated truck dispatch covers a wide spread of freight: fresh produce out of growing regions in season, frozen food, dairy, meat, beverages that cannot freeze, and temperature-controlled goods that just need protecting from heat. Produce seasons move the market, so a lane that pays well in one month can go quiet the next.
We never promise a rate or a volume. What we do promise is that every offer shows the temperature, the appointment, the miles and the rate, and that the rate con comes straight to you.
When the appointment decides the night
A reefer load often delivers at a grocery distribution center at 02:00 or 04:00. That means you arrive the evening before and need somewhere close to sleep with the unit on. If the receiver will not let you wait, the nearest legal stop has to be close enough that you can get some rest and still make the door on time.
So when we look at a reefer load, we check the appointment first, then the drive, then the night. If the only stop that fits is 60 miles out, we ask for a later time or keep looking.
What we need to know about your reefer
Reefer freight is picky, so the setup call goes a little deeper than it does for a dry van. These answers decide which loads we can offer you:
- The unit's make, model and year, and whether it can run multi-temp.
- Reefer fuel tank size and how long it runs on a full tank in continuous mode.
- Your cargo insurance limit, and whether the policy covers reefer breakdown. Some shippers ask for it by name.
- Whether the trailer is food grade and when it was last washed out. Produce and meat shippers often check.
- Whether you will haul frozen, fresh or both, and any loads you will not take, like live seafood or loads that need a team.
Seasons matter more in reefer than in any other trailer. Produce moves north as the harvest does, and the busy lanes in May are not the busy lanes in October. Holiday weeks push grocery volume up, and the slow weeks after them can be thin. We plan with the season, not against it, and we tell you when a market is quiet so you can choose between waiting for a good load and repositioning toward a busier one.
A reefer offer, the way you would get it
Here is how an offer from your reefer dispatcher reads. It is an EXAMPLE, not a real load. Accept or decline it to see what happens.
LOAD OFFER · EXAMPLE
from your dispatcher
Fresno, CA to Salt Lake City, UT
- Miles
- 760
- Rate
- $2,300
- Per mile
- $3.03
- Pickup
- Thu 14:00
- Delivery
- Sat 05:00 appointment
Table grapes at 34°F, unit set to continuous. The 05:00 appointment means a night near the receiver, so we found a truck stop 6 miles out that lets reefers run. Salt Lake County lists refrigeration units as exempt from its idling limit.
Your call. Nothing is booked until you say yes.
What a reefer dispatcher costs
Reefers pay the same tiers as every truck we dispatch, with no surcharge for running a unit. A new MC starts at 7% and steps down automatically at month 6. All the details are on the fees and terms page.
YOUR TIER
Standard (1 truck, MC 6+ months)
5%of gross
- Weekly gross (1 truck)
- $6,000
- Dispatch fee
- $300
- You keep (before costs)
- $5,700
Month-by-month table
| MC month | Fee |
|---|---|
| 12 | 5% |
| 13 | 5% |
| 14 | 5% |
| 15 | 5% |
| 16 | 5% |
| 17 | 5% |
| 18 | 5% |
| 19 | 5% |
| 20 | 5% |
| 21 | 5% |
| 22 | 5% |
| 23 | 5% |
Same tiers for every equipment type. No setup fee, no minimums, month-to-month, cancel with 30 days notice. EXAMPLE math, not a promise of revenue.
Reefer dispatch questions
How much does reefer dispatch cost?
The same as any truck we dispatch: 7% of gross while your MC is under 6 months old, 5% for one truck after that, and 4% per truck for two or more. No setup fee, no minimum, no contract, and no charge for weeks you do not haul. There is no extra charge for reefer freight.
Can I run my reefer at a truck stop overnight?
At most truck stops, yes. Reefers running overnight are a normal sight. Lots set their own rules, though, and some post separate rows for reefers or signs that keep them out of certain rows. Follow the signs on the lot, and check for local rules if the truck stop sits close to homes or a school.
Do idling laws apply to reefer units?
Usually the laws target the truck's main engine, and many list powering a refrigeration unit as an exemption. A few local rules limit the reefer itself, such as Sacramento's ban within 100 ft of homes or schools unless you are loading or unloading. If your unit runs off the truck engine, idling rules may apply.
Can a new MC get reefer loads?
Yes, though the first months take patience. Some brokers will not book a very new authority, and reefer freight often comes with higher cargo insurance requirements, so we check what your policy covers. A new MC pays 7% until month 6, then the fee steps down automatically, and we build broker approvals from day one.
Who pays lumper fees?
Usually the broker or shipper, either paid directly or reimbursed after you pay at the dock. Grocery receivers use lumpers often, so we confirm how the fee is handled before you accept the load. Keep the receipt and send it with your bills, so the reimbursement comes back with the load pay instead of getting lost.
PARK BY: PLANNED WITH YOU
Keep my reefer loaded
Loads checked for temperature, timing and where the unit can run at night.