Temperature-Controlled Cargo Checklist

Read the setpoint and tolerance from the shipper's BOL or rate confirmation — not the dispatcher's verbal. Frozen typically -10°F to 0°F, fresh produce 33-38°F, dairy 36-40°F, pharma 36-46°F. Commodity-specific setpoints (ice cream at -20°F, bananas at 58°F) are common gotchas — never assume.

Start the unit and let the box pull down to setpoint before backing into the dock. Loading a warm trailer is the #1 cause of FSMA Sanitary Transportation rule violations and rejected loads at receivers like Walmart and Kroger.

Reefer tank should be at least 3/4 full before pickup — a Carrier or Thermo King unit burns 0.5-0.75 gal/hr in continuous mode and runs out mid-route is a guaranteed claim. Top off DEF for late-model units.

Walk the interior with the lights off — daylight through panel seams, damaged door seals, or a punctured liner kills temperature integrity. Check the drain hole is clear; clogged drains pool water and freeze in winter.

Notify dispatch; do not load the failed trailer. Open a Fleetio work order describing the defect (door seal, panel damage, refrigeration alarm code) and arrange a spare unit from the yard or a rental from Premier Trailer Leasing / XTRA Lease.

Confirm the in-trailer recorder (Sensitech TempTale, Emerson GO Real-Time, or telematics-integrated probe from Carrier Lynx / Thermo King ConnectedSuite) is logging at the interval the receiver requires — usually 5 or 15 minutes. Pharma loads under 21 CFR Part 11 need the audit trail intact.

Use a calibrated probe thermometer in the thickest part of the product — not surface air. Record three pulps from front, middle, and rear pallets. If pulp is outside the BOL window before loading, that's the shipper's problem to document, not the carrier's to accept silently.

If pulp is out of spec, the carrier becomes liable for any rejection downstream unless documented. Note the discrepancy on the BOL, photograph the reading, and get the shipping supervisor's signature before pulling.

Write "Shipper Load & Count — product loaded at [X]°F, outside BOL spec of [Y]°F" on the driver copy and the shipper copy. Photograph both. Notify dispatch immediately so the broker can give the consignee a heads-up before the truck rolls.

Leave the front bulkhead clear, pinwheel pallets where the load allows, and stop the load 18 inches short of the rear doors. Blocking the return air chute starves the evaporator and creates hot spots in the nose of the trailer.

Continuous mode for produce, dairy, and pharma; start/stop (cycle-sentry) is acceptable for frozen but not fresh. The mode is part of the BOL contract — wrong mode is a claim waiver for the receiver.

Apply a numbered bolt seal — not a plastic tie. Photograph the seal in place and record the number on the BOL and the rate confirmation. A broken or missing seal at delivery voids cargo coverage for many shippers (Tyson, Sysco, US Foods).

Walk to the reefer at every fuel stop and photograph the return-air and supply-air readings on the unit display. A 3-4°F gap between supply and return is normal; a 10°F gap means restricted airflow or a refrigerant issue.

Thermo King codes (Alarm 17 — high discharge pressure, Alarm 25 — fuel system) and Carrier codes (Alarm 41 — sensor failure, Alarm 84 — start failure) each have a defined response. Call dispatch with the alarm number before clearing — never just acknowledge and drive.

Call the reefer manufacturer's 24-hour service line (Thermo King 888-887-2202, Carrier Transicold 800-448-1661) and the carrier's preferred dealer network (TruckCare, FleetNet America). Document the case number in dispatch notes and notify the broker — temperature-sensitive loads escalate quickly.

Submit location, ETA, and current box temperature via the ELD app or MacroPoint / FourKites. Many brokers require automated tracking on reefer loads; a 6-hour silence on a temperature-sensitive shipment is grounds for the broker to pull the load.

Have the receiver's dock supervisor witness the seal before the driver breaks it. Photograph the intact seal and have the supervisor initial the seal number on the BOL. A pre-broken seal is an automatic load refusal at most large grocery DCs.

Receiver will pulp the product before signing the BOL. Stand at the dock with your probe and take your own readings at the same locations as the shipper pulp. Disputed temperature at delivery is the #1 freight claim driver — your independent reading is the carrier's defense.

Receiver must sign the BOL with name, date, and time. Any "subject to inspection" or "product warm" notation triggers a claim workflow — photograph the annotation before leaving the dock and notify dispatch within 30 minutes.

Print or email the in-trailer recorder chart (Sensitech, Emerson, or telematics export). Receivers like Costco and Walmart will not pay until the chart is on file. Save a copy in the load folder in the TMS.

FSMA Sanitary Transportation rule requires documented washout between incompatible commodities — raw protein to produce, allergens to bare freight. Use a Blue Beacon or shipper-approved washout and keep the washout ticket in the trailer file for 12 months.

Per Part 396, post-trip DVIR covers tractor and trailer including the refrigeration unit. Note hour-meter reading, any alarms cleared, fuel level returned, and any defects (door seals, evaporator coil frost, fan noise). Defects route to the shop work-order queue in Fleetio.

Under the Carmack Amendment the receiver has 9 months to file; the carrier should file the defense packet within 48 hours of notification. Bundle the BOL with exception notation, both pulp readings, the temperature chart, the seal photo, and the driver statement. Submit to the cargo insurer through the carrier portal (Great West, Northland, Sentry).

Thermo King Precedent and Carrier Vector PMs land at 1,500 / 3,000 / 6,000 hours — belts, filters, oil, refrigerant charge check. Missing a PM voids the manufacturer warranty on the unit and is a documented audit finding under FSMA preventive controls.