This Is Why You're Here
Why Refrigerated / Reefers Come to Us Instead of Their Bank
Your reefer unit failed mid-haul with $60K in perishable pharmaceuticals. Roadside repair is $6K and the shipper is threatening a claim. You need the repair funded today.
You landed a dedicated reefer lane for a grocery chain — $8K/week guaranteed. But they require a second reefer trailer. A used unit is $45K and the broker starts loads in 3 weeks.
Your APU died in July. Running the main engine for cooling costs $300/day extra in fuel. A new APU is $12K installed but saves $200/day. You need it financed this week.
A produce distributor offered you a seasonal contract — 30 loads/month at $4,800 each from April through October. You need a $85K reefer trailer and $6K in pre-trip inspections and certs before the first load. Revenue will hit $144K/month but the trailer has to be road-ready in 3 weeks.
Your reefer unit's compressor seized hauling $40K in frozen seafood. Emergency roadside repair is $8,500 and the cargo has 6 hours before it's a total loss. The repair shop wants payment before they start.
APU died in July hauling pharmaceuticals. $12K repair, needed it yesterday. Basecamp wired the shop $12K by 2pm. Saved a $60K load and the client relationship.
Karen P., Reefer Carrier Owner, Fresno, CA
Refrigerated / Reefer Financing
Get Your Refrigerated / Reefer Business Funded in 60 Seconds
Slide the calculator to see your estimated approval range. Then answer 3 quick questions to lock it in. No documents needed. Soft-pull pre-qual.
See What You Could Qualify For
Slide to your average monthly bank deposits.
Estimated Approval Range
Based on 100-150% of monthly revenue
Soft-pull pre-qual · No obligation · Estimate only
Built for Your Business
Why Refrigerated / Reefer Businesses Choose Basecamp
Cold Chain Failures Cost Five Figures
When your reefer unit dies mid-haul, you're not just paying for repairs — you're racing to save $60K in perishable cargo. We wire repair funds same day because your load won't wait for bank approval.
20% Higher Fuel Burns Through Cash
Running a reefer unit adds $200-$300/day in fuel costs on top of your tractor. That's $6,000-$9,000/month more than dry van operators. We fund the gap between what you burn and when brokers pay.
APU Replacements Can't Wait Until Spring
A dead APU means running your main engine for cooling at $300/day extra. A $12K replacement saves $200/day. We finance it this week so you stop bleeding diesel.
Produce Season Is 6 Months of Feast, 6 of Famine
You do 60% of your revenue April through October hauling produce. Winter still has truck payments, insurance, and driver pay. A pre-approved credit line bridges the gap every year.
Bobby's Take
Bobby's Playbook for Refrigerated / Reefer
Most reefer operators walking into a bank for a $90K used refrigerated trailer have only ever seen one type of underwriting — the kind that doesn't price the temperature-control premium into the loan. Banks evaluate reefers like they're dry vans with a different paint job, then wonder why fuel-burn-on-idle and reefer maintenance numbers throw the cash flow off. Here's what specialist reefer lenders actually look at — and how to position your transaction so the right specialists see it first.
Three things determine whether a reefer transaction closes: per-mile rate on temp-controlled lanes, claim history on cargo, and whether your reefer maintenance program is documented. Not your personal FICO. Not your age in business. Specialist reefer lenders care about whether the higher per-mile reefer revenue offsets the $400-$700/month reefer fuel burn and the $1,400-$2,000/month equipment payment — and whether your cargo claim history shows you actually maintain the unit.
The biggest mistake reefer operators make: applying for financing without separating reefer revenue from dry-van revenue on their statements. The lender sees a blended number and underwrites at the dry-van rate, missing the 18-30% premium reefer freight commands. The fix: produce a brief lane-mix summary that shows reefer share of monthly revenue. Specialist reefer lenders re-rate the file when they see the breakdown. Banks treat all freight income as one bucket.
reefer revenue turned down without a second trailer
Where this gets interesting at scale: a reefer operator adding a second temp-controlled trailer doesn't need ONE loan. They need an equipment loan for the trailer (and often a sleeper tractor swap to handle the longer reefer lanes) + a working capital line for the reefer fuel float + factoring for produce-shipper net-30 to net-45 pays. Three products, three lenders, one application — that's how reefer haulers add capacity without bleeding margin to expensive single-source dealer financing.
The reefer operators who win the best lanes aren't the ones who waited until they had cash to buy outright. They're the ones who had a second reefer trailer ready when a produce shipper offered a year-long dedicated lane. Turning down a dedicated reefer contract because you can't add capacity is $8,000-$15,000 a month in lost gross. Run the numbers in 60 seconds — see what 70+ specialist lenders will offer your reefer business this week.
Bottom line:
Reefer operators win the best lanes by having a second trailer ready when a produce shipper calls. Generalist lenders price reefer like dry van and miss the 18-30% premium specialist lenders see.
Bobby Friel
Founder, Basecamp Funding
What You're Up Against
The Real Challenges Refrigerated / Reefers Face
Pricing Transparency
What Refrigerated / Reefer Funding Actually Costs
Rates and terms depend on credit, revenue, time in business, and lender. Every business is unique — see what 70+ lenders will offer you in 60 seconds. Soft-pull pre-qual.
These are industry averages. Your actual rate depends on your revenue, credit profile, and time in business — it could be lower. Run your specific numbers in 30 seconds.
Calculate Your Real Cost →Tax Strategy
Section 179 Breakdown for Refrigerated / Reefers
Finance the equipment. Keep your cash. Take the deduction. Your reefer trailer costs $39,000 after taxes and you never touched your reserves.
Bobby Friel
Founder, Basecamp Funding
How It Works
From Application to Funded in 5 Steps
No paperwork avalanche. No bank lobby. No guessing.
60-Second Intake
Tell us about your operation, truck count, and monthly deposits. No load history upload yet.
Soft Credit Screen
We screen options with no impact on your FICO or your authority's commercial credit.
Trucking-Specialty Lenders Compete
70+ lenders who fund OTR, owner-operators, hotshot, and fleets review your file in parallel.
One Specialist, Multiple Term Sheets
Your funding specialist walks through equipment finance, working capital, and factoring alternatives.
Choose Your Offer, Sign, Get Funded
E-signature. Funds hit in time to fuel up, repair the rig, or onboard the next truck.
Refrigerated / Reefer Capital Uses
What Refrigerated / Reefer Businesses Use Funding For
Truck & Trailer Purchase
Semis, reefers, flatbeds, box trucks, trailers. Finance your next unit without a massive down payment.
Fuel & Operating Costs
Diesel, DEF, tolls, permits, lumper fees. Bridge the gap between delivery and payment.
Fleet Expansion
Add trucks, hire drivers, take on bigger contracts. Scale without draining your reserves.
Maintenance & Repairs
Engine rebuilds, tires, DOT inspections, breakdowns. Keep your trucks on the road, not in the shop.
Insurance & Permits
Liability, cargo, physical damage, MC authority, IFTA. Cover the costs that never stop.
Driver Hiring & Payroll
CDL drivers, owner-operator settlements, office staff. Fund payroll while you wait on broker payments.
Full Transparency
What Kills Your Qualification (And What Doesn't)
Most lenders won't tell you this upfront. We will.
✅ These Won't Stop You
These Can Be Deal-Breakers
Need commercial insurance for your refrigerated / reefer business?
Trucking insurance runs $12K-$25K per truck per year. InsuranceService365.com covers trucking companies across 29 states — liability, cargo, physical damage, authority compliance.
Don't Wait Until You Need Funding to Get Funded
Brokers pay net-30/45/60. Fuel is COD. Insurance is monthly. The operators who scale pre-qualified BEFORE the broker payment stretched to net-60. By the time you're scrambling for fuel money, your numbers look stressed; before, they look fundable. Pre-qualify when the loads are steady.
Ready?
See What Your Refrigerated / Reefer Business Qualifies For
Slide the calculator, answer 3 questions, and a specialist pulls your options within the hour.
See What You Could Qualify For
Slide to your average monthly bank deposits.
Estimated Approval Range
Based on 100-150% of monthly revenue
Soft-pull pre-qual · No obligation · Estimate only
Other Trucking Companies Specialties We Fund
Click any specialty for tailored financing options.
Recommended Products
Recommended Funding for Refrigerated / Reefer Businesses
Working Capital
Cover fuel, repairs, and insurance while waiting on brokers to pay.
Learn More →Equipment Financing
Finance trucks, trailers, and fleet additions — asset-backed rates.
Learn More →Business Line of Credit
Revolving access for fuel, maintenance, and operating expenses.
Learn More →Invoice Factoring
Get paid on loads today instead of waiting 30-45 days.
Learn More →FAQs
Refrigerated / Reefer Business Loan FAQs
Refrigerated Trucking Loans & Reefer Carrier Financing — $10K to $20M+
Your APU died mid-haul with $60K in pharmaceuticals sitting in the trailer. The shop wants $12K and your load is warming up by the minute. That's reefer trucking — everything costs more, breaks at the worst time, and the cargo doesn't wait. Your fuel bill runs 20% higher than dry van. Your trailers cost $85K instead of $40K. And if the cold chain breaks, you're eating a five-figure claim.
We fund reefer carriers who can't afford delays. $12K APU repairs wired to the shop same day. $45K second reefer trailers financed in a week when you land a grocery chain contract. $60K seasonal credit lines for carriers who do 60% of revenue hauling produce April through October and need to survive winter. And we don't take a cut of your freight to do it. One application. 60 seconds. No hard pull.
Stop Watching Loads Pass You By. Get Your Refrigerated / Reefer Operation Funded Today.
60 seconds. Soft-pull pre-qual. No obligation.
See What You Qualify For →Soft-pull pre-qual · Free to check · Nationwide