Reefer Truckload Rejections Soar: 1 in 5 Loads Rejected Nationally

The freight market is seeing fluctuating volumes and steady tender rejections, with a particular spotlight on the refrigerated sector. Learn why 1 in 5 reefer loads are being rejected nationally, and how rising diesel costs and fall harvests are impacting spot and contract rates. Discover which regions are driving these trends and what to expect as winter approaches.

Refrigerated truckload tender rejections are running at 21.44% nationally as of Oct. 20, meaning roughly 1 in 5 reefer loads is being turned down by carriers, according to FreightWaves SONAR data. That figure has held near the 21% range after peaking at 22.13% on Sept. 17 and briefly dipping to a low of 20.89% on Sept. 24 — signaling persistently tight capacity in the temperature-controlled segment even as broader freight demand softens.

The overall truckload market has been similarly resilient on the capacity side. The SONAR Truckload Rejection Index (STRI) has hovered between 13% and 14% since August, sitting at 13.9% as of Oct. 20, while the SONAR Truckload Volume Index (STVI) slipped about 2% week over week to approximately 11,000 on the index — a sign of muted demand that has yet to translate into meaningful rate relief for shippers.

Geography is a key factor behind the elevated reefer rejection numbers. SONAR’s tender rejection maps show the tightest conditions concentrated in the Pacific Northwest and across parts of the Midwest, regions where refrigerated volumes have also climbed. Julie Van de Kamp attributed the pressure to fall harvest commodities — apples, potatoes, and onions moving out of the Pacific Northwest, and poultry and other protein products shipping from South Dakota, Iowa, and nearby states ahead of Thanksgiving demand.

“I think that’s primarily being driven by harvest for fall — think apples, potatoes, onions in the PNW, things being harvested and stored there, as well as protein meat products in the Midwest like poultry, early Thanksgiving, getting ready for that and those sorts of refrigerated commodities shipping out of there,” said Julie Van de Kamp.

On rates, the reefer segment has outpaced the broader market in 2024. Refrigerated spot rates are up approximately 28% year-to-date, while reefer contract rates have risen about 9% year-to-date, according to SONAR data Van de Kamp cited. She noted that diesel costs make the economics of refrigerated freight especially sensitive, since reefer units must keep trailers running continuously — a cost burden that doesn’t ease when the trailer is empty or parked.

Van de Kamp also flagged the coming winter as a factor that could sustain or push rates higher. Reefer equipment is not only used to keep cargo cold in warm months but also to protect temperature-sensitive freight from freezing once ambient temperatures drop below 32 degrees — demand that extends well into the first quarter. “I expect to see refrigerated rates continue to rise even more than van rates,” she said.

A bright spot for shippers has been Southern California, where tender rejections remain below the national average but have been tightening — a pattern that Van de Kamp said typically precedes peak-season freight activity. Overall, she summed up the Oct. 20 market snapshot this way: freight volumes slipped, but carriers have maintained the leverage to be selective about what loads they accept, keeping rejection rates firm across modes.

• Reefer tender rejections hit 21.44% nationally on Oct. 20, near a year-to-date high of 22.13% reached on Sept. 17.
• Refrigerated spot rates are up 28% year-to-date while contract rates have risen 9%, with diesel costs adding extra pressure on the temperature-controlled sector.
• Fall harvest volumes in the Pacific Northwest and Midwest protein shipments are the primary drivers of tight reefer capacity, with winter freeze-protection demand expected to sustain pressure.

This Summary is generated thanks to a transcription of the interview, for the full interview please enjoy the video above.