The dry van versus reefer debate never dies, because the answer keeps shifting with the market. Here is where things actually stand for owner-operators right now, and how to decide which trailer fits your operation.
The rate gap
Reefer consistently pays a premium over dry van. In today’s market, well-booked dry van freight runs around $2.30 per loaded mile while comparable reefer freight runs $2.50 and up. That 20 cent spread on 2,500 loaded miles a week is roughly $500. Over a year it is serious money.
But the premium is not free
Reefer earns more because it costs more to run:
- Equipment: a reefer trailer costs roughly double a dry van, and the refrigeration unit is its own maintenance line: fuel, servicing, and eventual replacement.
- Fuel for the unit: expect an extra half gallon or more per hour when the reefer is running.
- Appointments and detention: produce and food warehouses run tight windows, and detention at cold docks is a fact of life.
- Claims exposure: a temperature excursion can cost you an entire load. Discipline with pre-cool, pulp temps, and paperwork is not optional.
Where each shines
Dry van is the volume play: the most freight, the most lanes, the easiest equipment to run and maintain. In the Southeast and Midwest, and across the Texas Triangle, dry van keeps a truck consistently loaded with minimal drama.
Reefer is the rate play, and it doubles as insurance: a reefer can haul dry freight when produce is slow, but a dry van can never haul reefer freight. In produce season, reefer lanes out of the Southeast and Texas heat up and the premium widens.
The seasonal reality
Reefer demand follows harvests. Spring and summer produce out of the Southeast and the border regions push reefer rates up hard. Dry van is steadier across the calendar, with its own peaks around retail season. If you hate rate swings, dry van is calmer. If you chase peaks, reefer pays the bold.
How to decide
- If you are new to owner-operating, start dry van. Learn the business without a refrigeration unit adding failure modes.
- If you have the capital, the discipline, and cold-chain experience, reefer’s premium is real and worth chasing.
- Whichever you run, the bigger lever is booking quality. A well-dispatched dry van beats a badly-booked reefer every single week.
Tired of fighting the load board yourself? Milepost Dispatch books loads for dry van and reefer owner-operators, targets $2.30+ per loaded mile, and keeps empty miles under 8 percent. No contracts, no minimums, and the first 5 days are free. Call (332) 249-0201 or start your free trial at milepostdispatch.com.