A Rejected Load Is Worth More Than the Rate You Saved

Temperature-controlled freight has exactly one failure mode that matters: the receiver pulls the reefer download, sees a temperature excursion, and rejects the load at the dock. Now you’re out the product, out the freight, and out a customer — and you saved two hundred dollars on the rate.

The causes are boring and preventable. A trailer that was never pre-cooled. A set point nobody confirmed. A reefer running cycle when the product needed continuous. A driver who shut the unit off to save fuel on a long run.

Book Freight arranges refrigerated truckload freight for growers, processors, protein producers, beverage manufacturers, and food distributors. We confirm the set point, the pre-cool, and the run mode before dispatch — because those three questions are the difference between a delivery and a claim.

What We Move

Fresh Produce — Fruit and vegetables out of growing regions on tight windows. Seasonal, capacity-sensitive, and the freight that tightens the whole reefer market when the season hits.
Frozen Foods — Frozen product moving from processors to DCs and retail. Continuous run, deep set point, no tolerance for a warm trailer at pickup.
Protein — Meat, Poultry & Seafood — Fresh and frozen protein from plants to distribution. Tight temperature bands and receivers who check.
Dairy & Refrigerated Goods — Milk, cheese, yogurt, and refrigerated packaged goods. Short shelf life, hard delivery windows.
Beverage — Bottled, canned, and packaged beverage to distributors and retail. Heavy freight that weighs out before it cubes out, and some of it needs protection from freezing.
Dry Goods & Shelf-Stable — Packaged and canned food, ingredients, and shelf-stable product on dry van.
Ingredients & Bulk Food Materials — Flour, sugar, oils, and ingredients in totes, super sacks, and packaging to food manufacturers.
Packaging & Food Contact Materials — Cans, bottles, film, and packaging into food plants. Light, bulky, and cubes out fast.

Services We Provide

Refrigerated FreightReefer capacity with set-point, pre-cool, and run-mode confirmed

Protect From FreezeReefer running heat for beverage and product that can’t freeze

Full TruckloadDry van for shelf-stable, packaging, and ingredient freight

Expedited FreightShort-shelf-life product and recovery loads when a truck falls through

Partial TruckloadVolume that doesn’t fill a trailer but shouldn’t sit on a dock

Cross-Border CanadaU.S.–Canada food freight with full border documentation

How We Handle Temperature-Controlled Freight

The set point is confirmed in writing before dispatch. Not “keep it cold.” A number, in Fahrenheit, that the shipper gave us and the carrier acknowledged. Ambiguity here is how loads get rejected.
Pre-cool is confirmed, not assumed. A trailer that pulls up warm will not recover fast enough to save your product. We confirm the unit is pre-cooled to set point before it backs into your dock.
Continuous versus cycle is a decision, not a default. Frozen and sensitive fresh product needs continuous run. Cycle mode saves fuel and ruins loads. We specify it up front.
Receiver standards get checked before the truck leaves. Different receivers have different acceptance criteria and different tolerances. Knowing theirs before pickup is cheaper than finding out at the gate.
Carriers are vetted for reefer, not just for a truck. Working unit, current maintenance, and a driver who knows not to shut it down. Food freight is also a theft target, so authority is verified against the carrier on file before we tender.
Seasonal capacity is talked about honestly. When produce season hits, the reefer market tightens and rates move. We’ll tell you what the market is actually doing rather than quote a number we can’t cover.

Sectors We Serve

Growers and produce shippers — seasonal fresh freight out of growing regions
Food processors and manufacturers — inbound ingredients, outbound finished product
Protein producers — meat, poultry, and seafood from plant to distribution
Dairy producers and distributors — short-shelf-life refrigerated freight
Beverage manufacturers and distributors — heavy, high-volume packaged freight
Food distributors and DCs — replenishment and store delivery
Packaging suppliers — cans, bottles, and film into food plants

What Food Shippers Get

A set point confirmed in writing, not a driver’s best guess
Pre-cool verified before the trailer backs in
Continuous or cycle specified before dispatch, not discovered afterward
Carriers vetted for reefer condition and for authority — food freight gets targeted
An honest read on the market when produce season tightens capacity
Direct access to the broker managing your freight, not a routing center

Food & Beverage Freight FAQ

How do you make sure the trailer is at the right temperature?

Three things, all confirmed before the truck backs into your dock: the set point as an actual number the shipper specified and the carrier acknowledged, the pre-cool confirmed rather than assumed, and continuous or cycle mode specified up front. A trailer that pulls up warm won’t recover in time to save the product, and “keep it cold” is not a set point.

What happens if a receiver rejects the load on temperature?

That’s the outcome the whole process exists to prevent, which is why we confirm the set point, the pre-cool, and the run mode in advance and put the load on carriers vetted for reefer condition. If a claim situation does arise, we work it with the carrier and their insurance and keep you informed rather than going quiet.

Do you handle protect-from-freeze in winter?

Yes. Beverage, water-based product, and some packaged goods are ruined by one night below freezing in an unheated van. Protect-from-freeze moves on a reefer running heat — a different truck at a different rate, and far cheaper than a rejected load. Tell us the minimum the product tolerates.

Can you cover produce during peak season?

Yes, and we’ll be straight with you about what the market is doing. When a season hits, reefer capacity tightens hard and rates move with it. Bring us the lanes early and we’ll tell you what’s realistic rather than quote a number we can’t actually cover.

Do you move frozen and refrigerated on the same load?

Generally no — a single trailer runs one set point, and splitting the difference between frozen and fresh usually means neither is right. Multi-temp trailers exist but are much rarer and more expensive. Tell us what you’re moving and we’ll tell you honestly whether one truck can do it.

How do you vet reefer carriers?

Working unit, current maintenance, safety rating, insurance, and authority verified against the carrier on file before we tender. Food freight is a theft and double-brokering target, so carrier identity is checked, not assumed.

Food &BeverageFreight