Refrigerated transport in Mexico costs 25–40% more than equivalent dry van: the unit is dearer, the reefer burns its own diesel, and operations require pre-cool, monitoring, and temperature evidence. A trunk reefer sits at $45–$65 MXN per kilometer in 2026. In cold chain, mis-billed spend typically sits at 3–5%, above dry freight averages.

For food and pharma shippers: premium, rules, and charges that only exist in reefer.

vs dry van
+25–40%
MXN/km trunk 2026
$45–65
typical cold leakage
3–5%
hygiene / transport
NOM-251

Cluster: units · audit invoice.

The cold premium

Cold premium (vs dry van)

Trunk reefer: $45–$65 MXN/km (2026). Typical leakage 3–5%.

Reefer unit

+15–20% vs dry

+20%

Reefer diesel

2–4 L per hour

2–4 L/h

Reefer detention

$700–$1,200 MXN/hr

$/h

Spoilage / reject

Full product at risk

P&L
Source · MX market 2026 · NOM-251

What the rules require

Food: NOM-251-SSA1 and category temperature NOMs. Pharma: COFEPRIS and GDP (qualification, thermal mapping, continuous logs). Without an auditable log there is no compliance or reject defense.

Yard with refrigerated boxes ready for dispatch
Temperature logs are the third pillar of the trip file, with POD and arrival.

Three classic disputes

Temperature rejects, reefer hours, and spoilage split between customer and carrier.

Three classic reefer disputes

Select a step to see detail

Step detail · 01

Reject

Temperature

Continuous time-stamped log vs dock thermometer.

How to control it

Elige un paso para ver el detalle

Detalle del paso · 01

Thermal log in every trip file

Thermal log in every trip file
Control without an analyst army

What OCL runs

OCL Cargo is a shipper-side autonomous TMS: agents with computer use build the trip file and reconcile before pay. It can stamp invoice and Carta Porte. Coexists without day-one migration; humans on exceptions. Auditing 100% typically recovers 5–7% (cold chain leakage often sits at 3–5%).

Pre-pay

Trip file

  1. Rate

    Vs dry/reefer

  2. Hours

    Telemetry

  3. Temp

    Log

  4. Pay

    Pre-audit

6–8 week pilot

Baseline the topic, 100% pre-pay reconciliation, and an annual projection for finance.

Key takeaways5 points
  1. Reefer costs 25–40% more than dry; trunk $45–$65 MXN/km (2026).
  2. Typical cold-chain leakage: 3–5% of spend.
  3. NOM-251 / COFEPRIS: without continuous logs there is no defense or compliance.
  4. Reefer hours without telemetry do not get paid.
  5. OCL: temperature + POD + rate in the file; 6–8 week pilot.

How many reefer hours did you pay last month against real telemetry?

In a diagnostic we cross reefer hours, telemetry, and thermal logs from your latest cold-chain invoices.
Book your diagnostic100-invoice diagnostic

Related reading

Frequently asked questions