Reefer temperature clause
On a refrigerated ("reefer") load, the rate con should state the required temperature and whether the unit runs continuously or in cycle mode. If it doesn't, a rejection at the receiver can become the carrier's word against everyone else's.
What a good temperature clause includes
- Set point, in degrees with the unit, such as "34°F" or "-10°F".
- Mode: continuous (the unit runs all the time and keeps air moving) or cycle / start-stop (the unit shuts off when the set point is reached). Many fresh products need continuous; many frozen loads allow cycle.
- Pre-cool: whether the trailer must be pre-cooled before loading.
- Pulp temperature expectations at pickup, if the shipper loads product warmer than the set point.
- Download: whether the receiver or broker may ask for a reefer unit download as proof.
Why it matters
When a receiver rejects a reefer load for temperature, the first question is what temperature was ordered. If the rate con, the bill of lading and the shipper's instructions disagree, or none says anything, the carrier can't show it followed instructions. Write the set point on the BOL at pickup too, and take a photo of the reefer display with the product loaded.
A temperature problem often turns into a cargo claim. Federal claim rules say a written claim must identify the shipment, assert liability and ask for a specific or determinable amount; notations of damage on a delivery receipt, alone, are not a claim (49 CFR 370.3). Your temperature records are central to answering one; see cargo claims.
What the Rate Con Checker flags
The checker treats a load as reefer if the text mentions "reefer", "refrigerated", "frozen" or "temperature controlled". It then looks for a number followed by °F, F or "degrees".
- Reefer load with a temperature found: OK, showing the temperature.
- Reefer load with no temperature: flag.
- Not a reefer load: a note.
The checker reads only the first temperature it finds and only Fahrenheit. It doesn't check the mode (continuous or cycle), so read that yourself. A rate con that gives a range ("33–36°F") will show the first number.
What to ask for
Please write the required temperature and whether it's continuous or cycle.
If the shipper's paperwork at pickup differs from the rate con, call the broker before you leave the dock and get the correction in writing. Don't haul a reefer load on conflicting instructions.
Records worth keeping
Keep the reefer unit's temperature log for the trip, a photo of the display at pickup and at delivery, and any pulp readings taken. If the load is refused, ask the receiver to write the reason and the readings on the delivery receipt, and send the broker your records the same day. A clear record usually settles the question faster than any clause.