What Is Reefer Breakdown Coverage?
Reefer breakdown coverage is an endorsement on a motor truck cargo policy that pays for freight spoiled when the refrigeration unit fails. Standard cargo policies exclude mechanical refrigeration breakdown, so without this endorsement a spoiled load is not covered — and carriers usually require proof of unit maintenance and temperature logs for it to respond.
Why the base cargo policy isn’t enough
A standard motor truck cargo form covers freight damaged by accidents, fire, and theft — but it specifically excludes loss caused by the refrigeration unit breaking down. For a reefer fleet, that exclusion is exactly the loss most likely to happen.
Reefer breakdown coverage adds the refrigeration-failure peril back in, so a spoiled temperature-sensitive load is covered.
What carriers require
Because spoilage is often preventable, insurers condition the coverage on proof you maintained the unit and ran it correctly — service records and continuous temperature logs (download data from the reefer or a telematics feed).
High-value loads like pharmaceuticals or seafood may require higher cargo limits and stricter monitoring. We match the endorsement, limit, and requirements to the freight you actually haul.
Frequently asked
- Does regular cargo insurance cover spoiled reefer loads?
- No. Standard cargo policies exclude loss from refrigeration breakdown. You need reefer breakdown coverage added to the cargo policy, and carriers typically require maintenance records and temperature logs for a claim to be paid.