When you’re shipping perishables—like fresh produce, dairy, frozen meat, pharmaceuticals, or even flowers—you need refrigerated trucking, also called reefer shipping, to keep things at the right temperature from pickup to delivery. These are mechanically cooled trailers or trucks designed to maintain temperatures ranging from around 45 °F for chilled goods all the way down to –20 °F for frozen cargo.
At Lync Logistics, refrigerated trucking is one of our core offerings. We partner with hundreds of fully vetted refrigerated trucking companies, ensuring your temperature-sensitive freight stays within spec from door to door.
❄️ How Refrigerated Trucking Works
1. Your cargo is loaded into a refrigerated trailer that’s already been pre-cooled to your specified temperature.
2. The trailer or truck uses a built-in refrigeration unit—often a TRU (transport refrigeration unit)—to maintain the set temperature throughout the journey.
3. Sensors continuously monitor temperature, and many carriers now offer real-time tracking and alerts.
4. At delivery, your freight is unloaded—all while staying within its required temperature range.
Why Choose Refrigerated Trucking?
Industries That Depend on Reefer Transport
Lync helps companies that need climate control in transit across a range of sectors:
Food & Beverage: Fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, seafood
Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare: Vaccines, medications, biotech products
Floriculture & Horticulture: Fresh flowers, plants, sensitive greenery
Personal Care & Cosmetics: Natural or organic ingredients that can degrade in heat
Chemicals: Temperature-sensitive compounds and solvents requiring stable conditions
Pros and Cons of Refrigerated Trucking
âś… Advantages
Reliability: Maintains temperature integrity across the entire route
Specialized Handling: Drivers understand load protocols and handling needs
Extended control: Continuous monitoring and proactive issue resolution
Market access: Opens up industries that cannot rely on standard dry vans
❌ Disadvantages​
-
Higher Costs: Fuel consumption, equipment, and monitoring add to shipping rates
-
Maintenance Needs: TRUs require regular upkeep and diagnosis
-
Backhaul Limitations: Limited flexibility for return loads can increase empty miles → cost
Refrigerated Trucking vs Intermodal Reefer (Growing Trend)
For long-haul shipping, combining refrigerated containers with rail—intermodal reefer shipping—is becoming more common. Benefits include:
Lower long-distance costs (rail is 10–15% cheaper than trucking for full shipments).
Reduced carbon footprint, since rail emits less per ton-mile.
Powerful tracking and temperature control, including remote adjustments in transit.Â
Still, this usually involves drayage for first and last mile, so not always the quickest option for shorter routes.
Tips for a Successful Refrigerated Freight Shipment
- Pre-cool your trailer before loading to protect temperature-sensitive goods.
- Know the temperature specs—chilled (above freezing) vs frozen (below 0°F) matters.
- Schedule strategically—reefer backhaul options are limited, so timing can save costs.
- Use continuous monitoring—alerts and logs help catch issues before spoilage occurs.
- Partner with a pro—especially anyone familiar with FSMA, GDP, or other compliance needs.
Why Let Lync Logistics Handle Your Refrigerated Shipping
We make reefer shipping feel smooth—even when the cargo is sensitive:
- Vetted Carriers: We partner only with top refrigerated trucking firms that meet strict quality standards and compliance tracking.Â
- Dedicated Service: You get a single point of contact and real-time updates, 24/7.Â
- Compliance Expertise: We handle all documentation and temperature recording for industries with strict requirements.Â
- Scalable Support: Whether you’re doing LTL quantities or full-truckloads, we tailor solutions to fit your volume and timeline.