Keep your cool: a food-hauling cheat sheet for new reefer drivers

February 19, 2025

There’s no shortage of headlines about the integrity of the supply chain and the critical role of trucking—if you own it, at some point it was probably moved by a truck. We all know that, but it becomes even more obvious when we’re talking about hauling food—because it’s not just about getting it from A to B, it’s about how you get it there safely.

When a new reefer driver is getting up to speed on the job there are a whole lot of things they need to learn quickly—but after they’ve been doing it for a couple of months, complacency can be a real killer (and when it comes to the food supply chain, we don’t want that to be literal). So here is a quick cheat sheet on what new(ish) food reefer drivers should keep top of mind.

Clean, baby, clean:

Because shippers, carriers and receivers all have a hand in managing the safe delivery of food, there is a lot of communication when it comes to making sure standards are being met. Consider:

• Shippers will communicate with drivers about the level of sanitization required for the specific load being carried. This includes checking the trailer for defects, making sure the air delivery system is working, checking that drains are open and unobstructed and that there are no odors from chemicals or previous cargo.
• Cleanliness also includes best practices for the drivers themselves, with appropriate clothing, good hand hygiene, and avoiding smoking, drinking or eating while you’re working with the cargo.
• Odor contamination from chemicals or previous cargo is also top-of-mind when shipping food-grade cargo. Fatty or oily products such as butter, margarine, milk and meat can easily be contaminated by strong odors. Fresh fruit, such as bananas and apples will also absorb odors in the air. Because of this, drivers must make sure that trailers are thoroughly cleaned, especially after hauling products with a strong odor, such as broccoli, onions or fish.

Trust, but verify

All of the stakeholders involved in the food supply chain want to make sure that things are done right, but the reason we can have that level of trust is that there are many levels of inspection and verification. For example, it’s not enough that refrigerated trucks are just cold—they are constantly inspected and monitored to make sure that they are operating within the specific requirements of the cargo that is being carried. What’s more, drivers must also monitor the specific temperature of the cargo to make sure that each part of the load is being kept within the proper temperature limits. Also make sure that the safety seals are safe and secure.

Watch your airflow

The trailer's structure is designed to help the cold air coming from the reefer unit circulate like this:

• The air delivery chute at the top of the trailer moves cooling air from the front to the rear of the trailer.
• Cold air moves down through the packages to the bottom of the trailer.
• The channels or grooves in the trailer floor allow the warmer air to move back to the reefer unit to be cooled down again.
• To maintain the temperature, cold air must be able to flow properly throughout the trailer. Just setting the temperature on the unit isn't enough: the condition of the vehicle and how the cargo is loaded is just as important. When the air delivery chute is damaged, or there is damage to the trailer walls or doors, air cannot properly flow through.

Plan the cargo placement

The placement of packages or pallets in a reefer is very important in maintaining airflow and temperature. When airflow is obstructed, the trailer cannot be cooled properly. A well-trained driver will know all about:

• Clearance, clearance, clearance! There should be clearance between the cargo and the trailer side walls, ceiling and rear doors.
• Stacking with airflow in mind. Packages should be stacked so that air can flow through them.
• Light on top. Lighter packages should be stacked on heavier ones (not the other way around).
• Pallet placement. Pallets should be placed so that the spaces underneath them can allow airflow from the back to the front of the trailer. Placing them in the wrong direction could obstruct airflow.
• Stay in your corner. Products that could cross-contaminate, such as meat and dairy or meat and fresh vegetables, should be kept separate.

Breaking down a breakdown

Doing a physical and an electronic pre-trip inspection of the reefer (along with the regular pre-trip of your vehicle) will go a long way to getting ahead of problems before they get out of hand. But drivers should also be trained in what to do when equipment fails. In the event of a breakdown (of either the tractor or the refrigeration unit), maintain regular communication with dispatch and the receiver, monitor temperature fluctuations and remember to document everything. That information will be critical in making down-the-line decisions about how to handle the load (including discarding it for safety reasons).Top of Form

Setting your drivers up for success requires giving them the right equipment and the right training. But just as the equipment needs regular preventive maintenance, training also needs regular upkeep. For more details on reefer training and other topics, check out the CarriersEdge course catalog.