Reefer rates per mile: 2026 data and seasons

Reefer rates set an all-time monthly record in September 2026. That headline hides two other numbers an owner-operator needs: how much of the rate is fuel, and how much the reefer unit burns while you sit at a dock. Below are the national figures with dates, a season chart for produce freight, and the math that turns a posted reefer rate into what the load really pays.

Reefer spot rates hit a record $3.62 per mile with fuel in September 2026 ($2.70 linehaul), topping the previous high of $3.60 from January 2022 (DAT).

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<figure><blockquote>Reefer spot rates hit a record $3.62 per mile with fuel in September 2026 ($2.70 linehaul), topping the previous high of $3.60 from January 2022 (DAT).</blockquote><figcaption>Source: <a href="https://truckquick.com/guides/reefer-rates-per-mile">TruckQuick, Reefer rates per mile</a></figcaption></figure>Copy embed code

Reefer rate data, with dates

SOURCE: DAT September 2026 release, Oct 13, 2026; DAT week 42 via AJOT, Oct 19, 2026; DAT Reefer Report, Oct 19, 2026. Checked Oct 21, 2026.

What the table says, in plain words:

• Reefer is the one market where linehaul rose. Van and flatbed linehaul slipped from August to September; reefer linehaul gained 9 cents. Reefer demand, not just fuel, pushed the record.
• Spot is above contract. Spot reefer paid $3.62 all-in against $3.58 on contract. When that happens, brokers struggle to cover contracted loads at the agreed rate, and more freight lands on the spot board.
• The season is running hot. At $2.76 linehaul in mid-October, reefer sat 62 cents above its nine-year average for that time of year.

Reefer season chart

Reefer freight follows harvests, holidays and weather. These are the general patterns we plan around; your lanes will have their own timing. USDA's market news tracks shipments by crop and region if you want the weekly detail.

SOURCE: Shipment detail by crop and region: USDA AMS fruit and vegetable market news. The table summarizes general seasonal patterns; it is not a rate forecast.

What a reefer rate really pays

THE RATE PAYS FOR TWO ENGINES: THE TRUCK AND THE UNIT

A reefer burns fuel in two places: the truck and the refrigeration unit. The unit runs while you drive, while you wait at the shipper and while you sit at the receiver. Rates per mile only pay for the miles.

REEFER LOAD, EXAMPLENO. 0144

EXAMPLE

Rate con

$3,300

Loaded miles

900

Loaded rate

$3.67

Deadhead to pickup

120 mi

All-in rate

$3.24

Truck fuel, 1,020 mi at 6.5 mpg, $6.29

$987

Reefer unit fuel, EXAMPLE 30 gal

$189

Lumper, reimbursed by broker

$0 net

Left after fuel$2,124

This EXAMPLE load posts at the national spot average. Deadhead pulls it down to $3.24 a mile, and the unit's fuel is a cost a dry van never pays. A six-hour wait at a cold-storage receiver burns more unit fuel and a day of hours, which is why reefer detention terms belong on the rate con before you load. Price a trip's fuel with the trip fuel cost calculator, and see reefer fuel consumption for unit burn rates.

What moves reefer rates

• Harvest timing. A late or early crop shifts demand by weeks. Weather in one growing region can tighten trucks across the country.
• Holidays. Thanksgiving and year-end food volumes push rates in November and December.
• Diesel. The fuel surcharge set a record $0.92 in September 2026 as diesel passed $6. Rates usually lag diesel by a few weeks.
• Truck supply. Reefer trucks that can't find reefer freight take dry loads, and come back when produce pays. That keeps reefer capacity loose some weeks and tight others.
• Load requirements. Strict temperatures, continuous mode, food-grade washouts, multiple stops and team service all add pay.

Temperature, claims and the rate

A reefer rate is also paying you to carry risk. A load of frozen product set at the wrong temperature, or produce that arrives warm, can become a claim larger than the rate. Before accepting, confirm the set point, continuous or cycle mode, pre-cool requirements and whether the shipper wants a download of the unit's temperature record. Our guide to reefer temperature settings lists common set points by product.

What the numbers mean for your loads

1. Use linehaul for comparisons. Take off the fuel surcharge before comparing an offer with DAT's $2.70 linehaul average.
2. Divide by every mile. Loaded plus deadhead gives your real rate.
3. Count unit hours. Long waits and multi-stop loads cost reefer fuel.
4. Plan the reload. Produce regions are where reefer freight starts. A high rate into a market with no outbound freight can leave you running empty to the next one.

For how reefer work runs day to day, read reefer trucking.

Dispatch for reefer owner-operators

Reefer is the market that rewards planning most: following the harvest, timing appointments around unit fuel, and setting up the next load before this one delivers. Our reefer dispatching service plans your loads around the seasons and checks every temperature and appointment detail first. You see the full load before anything is booked, and the rate con goes straight from the broker to you for your signature.