HaulRefrigerated (Reefer) Trucking Companies
70,868 active U.S. motor carriers (3.2% of all active carriers) report refrigerated food (reefer) as a cargo type in the FMCSA Company Census. Carriers that flag refrigerated freight haul temperature-controlled loads — produce, dairy, frozen food and pharmaceuticals — in insulated trailers with a reefer unit. The flag is self-reported on the FMCSA Company Census.
The headline numbers
Reefer is dominated by small operators: most refrigerated carriers run six trucks or fewer, yet a large share operate interstate, reflecting long-haul cold chains that cross state lines.
Where refrigerated (reefer) trucking companies are based
Each state is shaded by the number of active carriers reporting this cargo type, from light (fewer) to dark (more), based on each carrier’s registered physical-address state. The smallest Northeast states and DC are labeled in the margin so their counts stay readable.
Show data table
| State | Carriers |
|---|---|
| California | 12,128 |
| Texas | 6,188 |
| Florida | 5,680 |
| New York | 3,319 |
| Washington | 2,732 |
| Illinois | 2,690 |
| Georgia | 2,610 |
| Pennsylvania | 2,476 |
| Minnesota | 2,027 |
| Wisconsin | 1,662 |
| New Jersey | 1,631 |
| Michigan | 1,599 |
Fleet size: who actually hauls this freight
83.9% of these carriers run six trucks or fewer and just 1.1% run a hundred or more — the fleet shape that determines how capacity and pricing behave in this segment.
Interstate vs. intrastate operation
68.1% operate interstate (across state lines, the trigger for federal operating authority) and 31.9% operate intrastate. When booking reefer capacity, confirm the carrier's operating authority and insurance filing are active — cold-chain claims (spoilage) are among the most expensive cargo claims.
Vet a specific carrier
These are aggregate counts. To check a single company, look it up by name or USDOT number, read our guide to vetting a carrier before you book, and learn how to spot double-brokering and carrier fraud. Compare freight types on the cargo-type pillar or see the national industry statistics.
Frequently asked questions
- How many refrigerated trucking companies are there in the US?
- FMCSA records show the number of active carriers that flag refrigerated food in the Company Census; the figure on this page is the current count.
- Are most reefer carriers small or large fleets?
- The fleet-size breakdown on this page shows what share run 1–6 power units versus 100+, using the carrier's reported power-unit count.
- Which state has the most refrigerated (reefer) trucking companies?
- California leads with 12,128 active carriers reporting this cargo type, based on each carrier's registered physical-address state. The full state breakdown is on this page.
- Where does this data come from?
- The public FMCSA Company Census (dataset az4n-8mr2), filtered to active carriers that report this cargo-classification flag and grouped by registered state, fleet size, operation type and hazmat indicator. It refreshes automatically as the federal data updates.