Casey places commercial insurance for refrigerated trucking — produce, frozen, dairy, pharma, and FSMA-regulated food. We know which carriers attach a real reefer breakdown endorsement (not a watered-down version) and which sublimits will leave you short on a spoiled load.
FMCSA-required $750K minimum (most shippers require $1M). Bodily injury and property damage from on-the-road incidents.
02
Physical Damage
Coverage on the tractor and the reefer unit. Reefer trailers are higher-value than dry van — scheduling matters.
03
Motor Truck Cargo
$100K is the floor; produce and frozen often need $250K. Pharma loads often need $500K–$1M+ with chain-of-custody endorsements.
04
Reefer Breakdown Endorsement
Covers spoilage from refrigeration unit failure. The most-watched line on a reefer policy — we read the breakdown form, the temp-recording requirement, and the sublimit before binding.
05
General Liability
Off-the-road exposures, including premises liability at your yard or terminal.
06
Excess / Umbrella
Major retail and grocery shippers commonly require $2M total liability. Excess sits over your primary auto.
What drives your premium
Pricing factors for refrigerated trucking.
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Continuous temperature monitoring
Real-time temperature telematics (Carrier TRU-Mate, Thermo King ConnectedSuite, ORBCOMM) earn credits on the cargo line.
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Years in business (3+)
Three years of clean experience under the same MC# is the largest single premium reducer.
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Driver MVRs and tenure
5+ years CDL experience and clean MVRs drop liability rates noticeably.
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Telematics / dashcam
Forward-facing dashcams earn 5–15% credits with most reefer programs.
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High-value commodities
Seafood, pharma, and certain produce categories add cargo surcharges and may need stated-value endorsements.
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Long-haul cross-country runs
1,000+ mile lanes increase reefer-unit runtime and breakdown exposure; rates step up at radius thresholds.
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Spoilage claim frequency
Spoilage is the cargo carrier’s least favorite claim type — frequency matters more than severity here.
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Reefer unit age
Older units have higher breakdown frequency and get surcharged or excluded on physical damage.
Quote in 24–48 hours
What you’ll need to send to get a real quote.
—DOT Number (we pull SAFER + L&I)
—Currently-effective dec page including cargo endorsements
—Loss runs (3 to 5 years, current within 60 days)
—Driver list with CDL # and DOB
—MVRs (we can pull if you authorize)
—Schedule of tractors and reefer trailers (year, make, model, VIN, stated value)
—Reefer unit make/model/year and maintenance records
—Commodity mix and typical load values
FAQ
Most operations get a real quote in 24–48 hours. Pharma, high-value, or hard-to-place accounts can run 3–5 business days because we’re submitting to E&S markets that underwrite manually.
A proper reefer breakdown endorsement covers spoilage from refrigeration unit failure (mechanical breakdown, fuel issues, condenser failure). The cheap version excludes operator error and may exclude breakdowns over 8 hours from the last temperature check. We read the form before binding.
Yes. A small carrier panel writes new authority for reefer. Pricing is rated up but after 12 months of clean experience your rates step down materially.
Often yes. Standard $100K cargo is below most produce load values. We typically place $250K for produce and confirm any per-load sublimits don’t strand you on big loads.
FSMA isn’t insurance, but shippers verify compliance via audit. We can refer you to compliance resources and confirm any policy exclusions tied to FSMA flags.
Up over the last three years, particularly on cargo. Cold-chain claim severity has driven loss ratios higher in produce and frozen categories specifically.
Yes — that’s most of why customers stay. You can pull COIs from your portal without calling us. Endorsements are processed same-day in most cases.
Get a quote
Quote your refrigerated / reefer operation
Send your DOT and a few details. A broker will reach out within 1 business hour.
Casey places commercial insurance for refrigerated trucking — produce, frozen, dairy, pharma, and FSMA-regulated food. We know which carriers attach a real reefer breakdown endorsement (not a watered-down version) and which sublimits will leave you short on a spoiled load.
Refrigerated freight runs on margins thinner than dry van and consequences higher than almost any other class. A temperature deviation on a $80,000 produce load can wipe out a quarter’s profit. A failed Sanitary Transportation Act audit can lose you the shipper entirely.
The trap in reefer insurance is the cargo line. Half the cargo policies on the market exclude breakdown-related spoilage outright, or sublimit it so far below your typical load value that the coverage is effectively decorative. We read the policy form before binding, every time.
“If your cargo policy doesn’t have a real reefer breakdown endorsement, you don’t have reefer insurance.”
Coverage you’ll typically need
What goes on a refrigerated trucking policy.
Reefer policies look like dry van policies on the dec page, but the endorsements and sublimits determine whether claims actually pay.
01Auto LiabilityFMCSA-required $750K minimum (most shippers require $1M). Bodily injury and property damage from on-the-road incidents.
02Physical DamageCoverage on the tractor and the reefer unit. Reefer trailers are higher-value than dry van — scheduling matters.
03Motor Truck Cargo$100K is the floor; produce and frozen often need $250K. Pharma loads often need $500K–$1M+ with chain-of-custody endorsements.
04Reefer Breakdown EndorsementCovers spoilage from refrigeration unit failure. The most-watched line on a reefer policy — we read the breakdown form, the temp-recording requirement, and the sublimit before binding.
05General LiabilityOff-the-road exposures, including premises liability at your yard or terminal.
06Excess / UmbrellaMajor retail and grocery shippers commonly require $2M total liability. Excess sits over your primary auto.
Why reefer is harder than dry van
What gets reefer operations declined.
The cargo line is where reefer accounts get tricky. Most declines come from claim history that standard cargo programs can’t price.
Spoilage / breakdown claim history
Two spoilage claims in 36 months pushes you out of most standard reefer programs and into E&S.
Pharma chain-of-custody work
Pharmaceutical and biologics freight needs specialized cargo with chain-of-custody and continuous temperature monitoring. Narrow market.
High-value targeted commodities
Seafood and high-end produce sometimes get sublimited at $100K. We confirm full value is covered before bind.
Older reefer units
Reefer trailers over 7–10 years old get either declined or surcharged on physical damage. Maintenance records help.
New ventures under 12 months
Most reefer carriers want a year. A small panel writes new authority for reefer at rated-up pricing.
FSMA non-compliance flags
If a shipper has cited Sanitary Transportation Act issues, several carriers will decline until they’re cleared in writing.
What drives your premium
Pricing factors for refrigerated trucking.
Reefer rates moved up alongside dry van, with extra pressure from cargo severity. Cold-chain claims compound fast — one bad load is a six-figure event.
▼Continuous temperature monitoringReal-time temperature telematics (Carrier TRU-Mate, Thermo King ConnectedSuite, ORBCOMM) earn credits on the cargo line.
▼Years in business (3+)Three years of clean experience under the same MC# is the largest single premium reducer.
▼Driver MVRs and tenure5+ years CDL experience and clean MVRs drop liability rates noticeably.
▼Telematics / dashcamForward-facing dashcams earn 5–15% credits with most reefer programs.
▲High-value commoditiesSeafood, pharma, and certain produce categories add cargo surcharges and may need stated-value endorsements.
▲Long-haul cross-country runs1,000+ mile lanes increase reefer-unit runtime and breakdown exposure; rates step up at radius thresholds.
▲Spoilage claim frequencySpoilage is the cargo carrier’s least favorite claim type — frequency matters more than severity here.
▲Reefer unit ageOlder units have higher breakdown frequency and get surcharged or excluded on physical damage.
Quote in 24–48 hours
What you’ll need to send to get a real quote.
We pull your DOT and MC data automatically. The rest is paperwork most reefer operations have on hand.
—DOT Number (we pull SAFER + L&I)
—Currently-effective dec page including cargo endorsements
—Loss runs (3 to 5 years, current within 60 days)
—Driver list with CDL # and DOB
—MVRs (we can pull if you authorize)
—Schedule of tractors and reefer trailers (year, make, model, VIN, stated value)
—Reefer unit make/model/year and maintenance records
—Commodity mix and typical load values
Federal compliance
FMCSA and FSMA requirements.
Refrigerated operators carry both motor-carrier obligations (FMCSA) and food-safety obligations (FDA’s FSMA Sanitary Transportation rule) when hauling human food.
Federal minimums (FMCSA). $750,000 combined single limit auto liability for non-hazardous freight on a vehicle over 10,001 lbs. The MCS-90 endorsement is required on your auto liability policy.
Practical shipper minimums. Most grocery and retail shippers require $1M CSL auto liability and $250K cargo. Pharma and biologics often require $1M–$5M cargo with chain-of-custody.
FSMA Sanitary Transportation rule (21 CFR Part 1). Sets requirements for vehicles, transportation operations, training, and records when hauling human food. Compliance is the carrier’s responsibility — and a frequent shipper audit topic.
Common questions
Refrigerated / Reefer insurance, answered.
Most operations get a real quote in 24–48 hours. Pharma, high-value, or hard-to-place accounts can run 3–5 business days because we’re submitting to E&S markets that underwrite manually.
A proper reefer breakdown endorsement covers spoilage from refrigeration unit failure (mechanical breakdown, fuel issues, condenser failure). The cheap version excludes operator error and may exclude breakdowns over 8 hours from the last temperature check. We read the form before binding.
Yes. A small carrier panel writes new authority for reefer. Pricing is rated up but after 12 months of clean experience your rates step down materially.
Often yes. Standard $100K cargo is below most produce load values. We typically place $250K for produce and confirm any per-load sublimits don’t strand you on big loads.
FSMA isn’t insurance, but shippers verify compliance via audit. We can refer you to compliance resources and confirm any policy exclusions tied to FSMA flags.
Up over the last three years, particularly on cargo. Cold-chain claim severity has driven loss ratios higher in produce and frozen categories specifically.
Yes — that’s most of why customers stay. You can pull COIs from your portal without calling us. Endorsements are processed same-day in most cases.
Get a quote