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Reefer Fuel Cost Calculator

Enter trip hours, burn rate, and fuel price to estimate reefer fuel cost.

How it is calculated

The tool multiplies running time by burn rate to get fuel used, then by the fuel price: gallons = hours × burn rate and cost = gallons × price per gallon. It also divides the cost by the hours to show the hourly cost. Hours is the time the refrigeration unit actually runs, burn rate is in gallons per hour and price is in dollars per US gallon. All three must be above zero. Costs are shown in dollars and gallons with two decimals. Only the reefer unit's diesel is counted, not the tractor's own fuel. The burn rate is one average figure, so it does not model changes between continuous and start-stop modes or between set points.

Worked example

A reefer unit runs for 36 hours at an average of 0.7 gallons per hour with diesel at $3.85 a gallon. Fuel used: 36 × 0.7 = 25.20 gal. Cost: 25.20 × 3.85 = $97.02. Hourly cost: 97.02 ÷ 36 = $2.70/hr. A 10% cheaper price of $3.47 would cut the total to about $87.44.

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Common mistakes

  • Using the trip's drive time instead of the unit's running hours. The unit may run while the truck is parked, loading or waiting, so count the hours it is switched on.
  • Using the tractor's miles per gallon. The reefer burn rate is gallons per hour of running, not miles per gallon.
  • Using litres or a price per litre. The tool expects US gallons and a price per gallon.
  • Taking the burn rate from a cold set point for a trip held at a warmer set point, or the other way round. Burn changes with set point and outside temperature, so use a rate that matches the load.
  • Quoting only the reefer fuel as the fuel cost of the load. The tractor's own diesel is separate and not included here.

About this calculator

A reefer unit is the diesel-powered transport refrigeration unit (TRU) mounted on a refrigerated trailer, running independently of the truck's engine to keep perishable cargo — food, pharmaceuticals, flowers — at a controlled temperature throughout a haul. Reefers burn fuel continuously while running, typically 0.4 to 1 gallon per hour depending on the unit and set point.

This calculator multiplies trip hours by the unit's burn rate and the price per gallon to estimate the diesel cost of a run. Trucking fleet managers, owner-operators, and freight brokers use figures like this to quote reefer loads accurately, since fuel for the refrigeration unit is a real operating cost on top of the tractor's own diesel and is often billed separately in reefer freight rates.

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Comments (1)

  • Editorial team

    Burn rate is the softest number here, so run the tool twice to get a range instead of one figure. With the default 40 hours and 4.25 dollars a gallon, a unit burning 0.4 gallons an hour costs 68 dollars and one burning 1 gallon an hour costs 170 dollars. The cost per hour line also helps when you check a flat reefer fuel charge in a rate quote. What burn rate do your unit's hour meter and fuel records show?

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