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How to decide between dry van and reefer for your freight. When temperature control is required, when it's optional, and how the choice affects your rate.
One of the most common questions new shippers ask: do I need a reefer or can I use a dry van? The wrong answer costs you money either way — over-specifying with reefer when dry van works wastes 25-40% more in freight costs, while under-specifying with dry van on temperature-sensitive freight risks product loss and customer chargebacks.
Any FDA-regulated human food shipment that requires temperature control. Produce, dairy, meat, seafood, beverages with specific temperature requirements. Pharmaceuticals and medical devices with cold chain requirements. Flowers and live plants. Certain chemicals and adhesives that degrade in heat. If your product has a temperature requirement on the label or specification sheet, use a reefer.
Canned goods, shelf-stable packaged foods, paper products, automotive parts, manufactured goods, industrial equipment, clothing, and non-perishable retail merchandise all ship safely in dry van. Dry van costs 25-40% less than reefer on comparable lanes — using it when appropriate is smart cost management.
Some freight needs temperature control only in extreme weather — certain adhesives, candles, chocolate, and some manufactured goods can't withstand 110°F summer heat in a dry van parked on a dock. For these, shippers often use reefer set to 65-70°F (a 'protect from freeze' or 'conditioned' load) which costs less than full cold-chain pricing but more than standard dry van.
On a Chicago to Atlanta lane, dry van FTL runs approximately $1,400-1,900. The same lane in a reefer runs $1,900-2,600. On a 1,000-mile lane, choosing reefer when dry van works costs you $500-700 extra per load — that adds up fast on recurring freight.
IZY Logistics has dedicated reefer and dry van specialists, brokering freight across all 48 states. We help shippers make the right equipment decision before booking — not after. Get a quote for either mode at izylogistics.com/quote or call +1(877)IZY-LOGS.
IZY Logistics is a licensed freight broker (MC #1615290) with dedicated dry van, reefer, and flatbed specialists, serving shippers across all 48 states. Get a competitive quote in under 30 seconds.
Get a Free Quote →Not always — it depends on the shipment. dry van and reefer which do i need each fit different freight profiles, and the right choice usually comes down to cost, timeline, and equipment fit rather than one being universally better.
Yes. Many shippers use dry van for some freight and reefer which do i need for other freight in the same month, matching the option to each shipment's specific needs rather than committing to one exclusively.
A freight broker who handles both dry van and reefer which do i need can review your shipment details and recommend the better fit — that's part of what IZY Logistics does for shippers who aren't sure.
Yes, cost is usually one of the biggest differences between dry van and reefer which do i need, alongside transit time and how the freight needs to be handled.
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