Refrigerated trailer (reefer)
An insulated trailer with its own refrigeration unit for chilled and frozen loads.
- Temperature
- Set per load, frozen or chilled
- Pre-cooling
- Trailer cooled before loading
- Records
- Temperature data on request
Services · Food & beverage
Food-Grade, Reefer & Cold Chain
Produce, meat, dairy, frozen food, beverages and packaged food, plus pharmaceuticals and other cold chain freight. FSMA is one of my certifications: your load moves in clean, suitable equipment at the temperature you set, under the FDA’s Sanitary Transportation rule.
- FSMA Sanitary Transportation rule
- Refrigerated & frozen
- Cold chain & pharma
FSMA
What FSMA means for your freight
The Food Safety Modernization Act’s Sanitary Transportation rule (21 CFR Part 1, Subpart O) covers how human and animal food moves by truck and rail. It requires vehicles and equipment that can be kept clean, temperature control where food safety depends on it, protection against contamination and cross-contact, trained carrier staff, and written procedures and records.
As the shipper, you tell the carrier in writing what the load needs: the temperature, pre-cooling, and any sanitary requirements such as prior-load restrictions. I make sure those instructions reach the truck and the driver.
Equipment
Equipment for food loads
Temperature-sensitive food rides in a refrigerated trailer, shelf-stable food in a clean, food-grade dry van, and high-value cold chain freight with extra monitoring.
Food-grade dry van
A clean, dry, odor-free van for shelf-stable food and beverages.
- Condition
- Clean, dry, odor-free, no holes
- Prior loads
- No chemicals or waste
- Best for
- Packaged food, beverages, dry goods
Cold chain & pharmaceuticals
For high-value, temperature-sensitive freight: round-the-clock temperature monitoring and equipment tracking, thermal-mapped trailers, and quality processes built around pharmaceutical guidelines.
- Monitoring
- 24-hour temperature and tracking
- Equipment
- Temperature-controlled, thermal-mapped
- Drivers
- Experienced team owner-operators
Typical loads
Food freight I arrange
- Fresh produce
- Meat & poultry
- Seafood
- Dairy
- Frozen food
- Beverages
- Packaged & dry food
- Bakery & confectionery
- Animal food & feed
- Food ingredients
- Pharmaceuticals
- Plants & flowers
Food safety
How your load is protected
These are the practical steps behind an FSMA-compliant food load:
- Trailer inspected clean, dry and odor-free before loading
- Reefer pre-cooled to your set point before loading
- Temperature set and monitored for the whole trip
- Ready-to-eat food protected from raw food and non-food items
- Seals applied and recorded when you require them
- Temperature records available when you need them
Request a quote
What I need for a quote
- Commodity
- Temperature set point and acceptable range
- Continuous or start-stop (cycle) refrigeration
- Pre-cooling requirements
- Pallets, weight and whether they’re stackable
- Pickup and delivery appointments
- Prior-load restrictions or washout requirements
- Seal and temperature record requirements
What is the FSMA Sanitary Transportation rule?
It’s an FDA rule under the Food Safety Modernization Act (21 CFR Part 1, Subpart O) that sets requirements for moving human and animal food by motor and rail vehicle: sanitary vehicles and equipment, temperature control, protection from contamination, carrier training and records.
What temperature should my load run at?
You set it, based on the product. Frozen loads often run around 0°F or below and fresh chilled products in the mid-30s °F, but your set point and acceptable range go on the load instructions.
Can food go in a dry van?
Yes. Shelf-stable food and beverages often move in clean, food-grade dry vans. Temperature-sensitive products need a refrigerated trailer.
Can I get temperature records?
Refrigeration units record temperatures during the trip, and the records can be requested when you need proof the load stayed in range. Tell me up front if you’ll need them.
Can you move pharmaceuticals?
Yes. Landstar’s cold chain service is built for temperature-sensitive, high-security freight such as pharmaceuticals, with 24-hour temperature monitoring and tracking, thermal-mapped equipment and quality processes that follow pharmaceutical guidelines. Tell me the temperature range and any validation or documentation requirements up front.
What is a washout?
A washout is a cleaning of the trailer between loads. Some food shippers require a washout certificate before loading; let me know and I’ll book it.
FSMA requirements differ for shippers, loaders, carriers and receivers. This page is general information; your food safety plan decides what your loads need.
More services
Other freight I move
Request a quote
Moving food, beverages or pharma?
Send the commodity, temperature and appointments, and I’ll book the right reefer, food-grade van or cold chain service.