NATIONWIDE REFRIGERATED TRUCK BUYING
Sell Your Refrigerated Truck
Ready to sell a refrigerated box truck, reefer straight truck, or temperature-controlled delivery truck? EasyTruckBuyer considers used refrigerated trucks from private owners, owner-operators, businesses, and fleets across all 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii.
Whether your truck is still operating, has high mileage, or has a refrigeration problem, you can submit its details for evaluation. We look at the vehicle’s configuration and condition before deciding whether an offer is possible.
EasyTruckBuyer has been buying trucks since 2007. Free towing is included with accepted truck purchases.
Every inquiry is evaluated individually. Submission does not guarantee an offer or purchase.
Tell Us About Your Truck
Start with the vehicle information you know. Describe the truck and its refrigeration condition; additional details may be requested during evaluation.
Can You Submit a Used Refrigerated Truck for Evaluation?
Yes. You can submit a refrigerated truck for consideration whether its cooling system works normally, has an intermittent problem, or is no longer operational.
A useful description separates three things: the truck’s driving condition, the refrigeration unit’s condition, and the insulated cargo body’s condition.
For example, a truck that starts and drives but cannot maintain cargo temperature is different from one with a working diesel-powered reefer unit and a failed truck engine. Both can be described accurately without assuming the same underlying problem.
Start with the truck’s year, make, model, location, and mileage. Add the refrigeration-unit brand, model, operating hours if available, and any known cooling problems.
You do not need a complete technical diagnosis to begin an inquiry. If equipment has not been tested, say so.
Which Refrigerated Truck Configurations Can Be Submitted?
Refrigerated trucks are built with different chassis, cargo bodies, and temperature-control arrangements. Identifying the configuration helps explain what is being offered for sale.
Refrigerated Box Trucks and Straight Trucks
A refrigerated box truck is a truck with an enclosed, insulated cargo body and an installed refrigeration system.
These vehicles are used in applications such as grocery distribution, food deliveries, frozen-product transportation, and other temperature-sensitive delivery work.
They may range from smaller local delivery trucks to larger commercial straight trucks.
Important differences include chassis size, engine, transmission, axle arrangement, gross vehicle weight rating, and cargo-body dimensions.
A truck may also have a liftgate, side door, rear roll-up door, or swing doors. These components should be included in the description if installed.
Single-Temperature Refrigerated Trucks
A single-temperature truck has a refrigeration arrangement serving one principal temperature-controlled cargo space.
Depending on its equipment and operating capability, it may be configured for chilled or frozen cargo.
For a truck in this category, describe the refrigeration-unit model, insulated-body size, and last known cooling condition. Avoid assuming the system can reach or maintain a particular temperature based only on its model name or controller setting.
Multi-Temperature Reefer Trucks
Some refrigerated trucks are configured to transport products at different temperatures in separate compartments.
These vehicles may use insulated bulkheads, multiple evaporators, separate controls, or other zone-specific equipment.
If you have a multi-temperature truck, explain how many zones it has and which parts are operational.
For example, a truck might have one functioning compartment and another with a known evaporator or control problem.
Describe the individual faults instead of treating the entire refrigeration system as either completely functional or completely defective.
Refrigerated Trucks Versus Insulated Trucks and Reefer Trailers
An insulated truck body without an operational refrigeration system is not equivalent to a functioning refrigerated truck.
Some vehicles have insulated bodies but no installed active refrigeration equipment. Others may have had the refrigeration unit removed.
Such trucks can still be submitted for consideration, but the missing or incomplete equipment should be disclosed.
A detached refrigerated semitrailer is a different type of asset from a complete refrigerated straight truck. This page concerns complete trucks. If you have only a reefer trailer, contact EasyTruckBuyer to clarify whether that particular equipment can be considered.
Three Parts of a Refrigerated Truck That Matter When Selling
The truck, cooling equipment, and insulated body may have different maintenance histories and different defects. Describing them separately is one of the most useful ways to prepare for an evaluation.
1. Truck Chassis, Engine, and Drivetrain
Begin with the commercial vehicle itself.
Relevant information includes:
- Year, make, model, and VIN.
- Odometer mileage.
- Engine and fuel type.
- Transmission.
- Gross vehicle weight rating and axle configuration, if known.
- Whether the engine starts and the truck drives.
- Known engine, transmission, brake, steering, suspension, or frame problems.
If the truck has been out of service, explain approximately how long it has been parked and whether its current operating condition is known.
A running refrigeration system does not establish that the chassis is roadworthy. These are separate questions.
2. Transport Refrigeration Unit
The refrigeration unit, commonly called the reefer unit, is a major distinguishing component.
Manufacturers such as Thermo King and Carrier Transicold produce systems for refrigerated straight trucks and delivery vehicles.
Depending on the configuration, a refrigeration unit may have its own engine, use a compressor powered by the truck, or incorporate electric operation.
Try to identify the equipment manufacturer, model, serial number, and operating hours if displayed.
If the unit has been serviced or repaired, note the work performed and any remaining faults.
Useful condition descriptions include:
- Starts and cools under the last known operating conditions.
- Starts but does not produce adequate cooling.
- Displays an alarm or fault code.
- Has an intermittent cooling problem.
- Does not start.
- Has missing or disconnected components.
- Has not been tested recently.
These descriptions are more informative than labeling every non-cooling unit as having a bad compressor. Similar symptoms can have different causes, and a diagnosis should not be assumed without evidence.
3. Insulated Cargo Body
A refrigerated cargo body is designed to limit heat transfer between the cargo area and its surroundings.
Its insulation, interior lining, floor, roof, door seals, and openings all influence its condition.
Check for visible signs of:
- Water intrusion or damaged seams.
- Soft or deteriorated flooring.
- Cracked or separated wall panels.
- Damaged rear or side doors.
- Torn or missing door gaskets.
- Corrosion affecting the body or subframe.
- Missing insulated partitions.
- Damage around evaporator housings or other installed equipment.
Some trucks also have refrigerated-body features such as interior strip curtains, movable bulkheads, cargo restraints, and specialized floor construction.
A body with deteriorated seals may have difficulty retaining cold air even if its refrigeration unit is working. Conversely, a truck with a defective cooling unit may still have a structurally usable insulated body.
Understanding Reefer Operating Hours and Cooling Performance
Refrigeration systems can have a very different operating history from the truck itself. Two trucks with similar odometer readings may have refrigeration units with substantially different usage and maintenance histories.
Reefer Hours Are Not Truck Mileage
Truck mileage measures how far the vehicle has traveled.
A truck engine may have a separate engine-hour reading. A self-powered refrigeration unit may also maintain its own operating-hour record.
These figures represent different forms of use and should be reported under their correct names.
If the refrigeration unit has an hour meter, provide the displayed number. If it has separate operating modes or hour records, identify what the displayed values represent when known.
If the display is damaged or no reliable hour reading is available, do not guess.
Self-Powered and Vehicle-Powered Refrigeration
A self-powered diesel refrigeration unit has its own engine or power system for operating the cooling equipment.
This can allow the refrigeration unit to operate independently of the truck’s propulsion engine, depending on its configuration and condition.
A vehicle-powered refrigeration system typically uses a compressor driven by the truck engine during road operation.
Some units also have electric standby, which allows operation from suitable external electrical power while stationary.
Not every reefer truck has electric standby, and an installed standby connection does not establish that the equipment works.
If only one operating mode has been tested, describe the others as untested.
Temperature Settings Are Not Proof of Cooling Performance
A refrigeration controller may show a selected temperature, a measured temperature, operating information, or an alarm.
The selected temperature, often called the setpoint, is a target. It does not by itself prove that the system reached that temperature or maintained it during a delivery.
If you have recent temperature records, service notes, or a reliable operating test, those details may help explain the truck’s condition.
For example, “the unit starts, but the cargo temperature does not reach the setpoint” is useful information even without a confirmed diagnosis.
Where available, distinguish the selected temperature from actual readings and identify the circumstances of the test.
If no recent test has been performed, state that the refrigeration system’s current performance is unknown.
Do not operate an unsafe truck, connect questionable electrical equipment, or open refrigerant lines simply to demonstrate cooling before making an inquiry.
Refrigerated Trucks With Mechanical or Cooling Problems
A truck does not need to be in perfect operating condition to be submitted for evaluation. However, defects affecting the vehicle and its refrigeration equipment should be identified separately.
The Truck Drives, but the Refrigeration Unit Does Not Work
A delivery truck may remain mechanically drivable after its cooling system stops working.
Possible symptoms include a refrigeration unit that will not start, a system that runs without adequate cooling, recurring alarms, or an intermittent failure.
Provide the last known working date if available, any diagnosed defect, and whether parts have been removed.
If you already have a repair estimate or service report, that information may help explain the condition. You do not need to commission a new repair merely to submit an inquiry.
The Reefer Works, but the Truck Does Not Run
Some self-powered refrigeration systems may remain operational even when the truck engine or drivetrain has failed.
If this describes your vehicle, identify what still works and what does not.
For the chassis, explain whether it starts, idles, shifts, rolls, steers, or brakes. If a serious defect makes the truck unsafe to operate, state that clearly.
Do not attempt to drive the truck to demonstrate its condition.
A working refrigeration unit is useful information, but it does not eliminate concerns about the chassis or transportation requirements.
The Insulated Body Is Damaged
A truck may have a functional engine and cooling unit but suffer from water intrusion, body damage, damaged flooring, or broken doors.
These problems can affect the usefulness of the refrigerated cargo space independently of the cooling unit.
Photos of visible damage and information about previous repairs can help document its current condition.
If the body has major structural damage, do not assume it is suitable for loaded transportation merely because the truck still drives.
Older, High-Mileage, and Non-Running Reefer Trucks
Age, mileage, equipment hours, repairs, and storage conditions can all contribute to the vehicle’s overall condition.
Refrigerated delivery trucks can experience significant wear from repeated loading, unloading, and door operation.
A retired vehicle may also have been parked long enough that the condition of its refrigeration unit, batteries, tires, or other components is uncertain.
Explain what was working when the truck was taken out of service and whether anything has changed since then.
EasyTruckBuyer evaluates each submitted vehicle individually. An older truck, failed cooling system, or non-running condition neither guarantees nor automatically rules out a potential purchase.
What Affects a Refrigerated Truck’s Potential Value?
A refrigerated truck combines equipment that can differ greatly in specification, age, and condition.
The following are useful considerations when describing a vehicle, not a published EasyTruckBuyer pricing formula.
Vehicle Specifications and Running Condition
The chassis make, model, year, engine, transmission, axle arrangement, GVWR, mileage, and mechanical condition identify the underlying truck.
A vehicle with major drivetrain problems may present different considerations from a similar truck that is operational.
Document known defects rather than relying on mileage alone to describe condition.
Refrigeration Equipment and Operating History
The refrigeration system’s manufacturer, model, configuration, operating hours, maintenance history, and cooling condition may all be relevant.
Single-temperature and multi-temperature equipment can differ in complexity and installed components.
A more elaborate system is not automatically worth more. Its current condition, completeness, compatibility, and practical usefulness also matter.
Insulated Body and Loading Equipment
Cargo-body dimensions, insulation condition, doors, interior floor, partitions, and any installed liftgate can help distinguish otherwise similar trucks.
Describe what is included in the sale and identify defects affecting those components.
A liftgate’s presence should not be confused with its operational condition.
Ownership, Location, and Transport Requirements
Title status, unresolved liens, separately financed equipment, location, and mobility may also affect whether a purchase is practical.
Complete maintenance records and clear photographs can provide helpful context, but documentation alone does not establish a particular purchase price.
The potential value of a refrigerated truck cannot be determined reliably from its category name alone. EasyTruckBuyer must evaluate the individual vehicle before deciding whether to make an offer.
Refrigerated Truck Seller Preparation Checklist
Start with the information you know. The purpose of preparation is to describe the truck accurately, not to make the vehicle appear to be in better condition than it is.
Vehicle Information
Gather the year, make, model, VIN if available, mileage, approximate cargo-body dimensions, current location, and running condition.
Include axle configuration, GVWR, engine, and transmission information if you know them.
Refrigeration Equipment
Identify the refrigeration-unit manufacturer and model, operating hours if displayed, operating modes, and last known cooling condition.
For multi-temperature systems, describe the number of zones and any known problems in individual compartments.
Include fault codes or repair information if available. Avoid guessing at the cause of an undiagnosed problem.
Useful Photographs
Clear, recent photos can help document the vehicle.
Prioritize:
- Front, rear, and both sides of the truck.
- Dashboard and odometer.
- Refrigeration unit and identification plate.
- Reefer controller and hour display, where safely accessible.
- Inside the insulated cargo area.
- Floors, doors, seals, and partitions.
- Liftgate or other installed equipment.
- Any visible damage or missing components.
Photographs are helpful rather than a universal prerequisite for making an initial inquiry. Additional images may be requested during evaluation.
Maintenance and Service History
Provide available truck maintenance records, refrigeration-unit service invoices, fault reports, or repair estimates.
For a fleet vehicle, an existing asset record can help identify the truck and its installed refrigeration equipment.
Temperature logs or operating reports may be useful when available, but do not imply that they establish present cooling capability if the equipment has since developed problems.
If records are incomplete, state what is known rather than reconstructing an unsupported service history.
Titles, Liens, and Refrigeration Equipment Ownership
The truck’s legal ownership must be addressed before a sale can be completed.
Depending on applicable state requirements and the transaction, documentation may include a certificate of title, required transfer signatures, lien information, and authorization to sell a business-owned vehicle.
If the truck is financed or has an outstanding lien, disclose that situation during the evaluation.
A missing title, unresolved ownership dispute, or financing issue may require additional steps and can prevent a sale from being completed.
Is the Refrigeration Equipment Included in the Sale?
Specialized equipment is not always owned under the same arrangement as the vehicle.
If the refrigeration unit, liftgate, or another installed component is separately leased, financed, or owned by another party, explain that before agreeing to sell the truck.
Do not assume that selling the chassis automatically gives the seller authority to transfer equipment belonging to someone else.
The refrigeration unit’s serial number identifies equipment. It does not replace the truck VIN or legally required ownership documents.
Do Food Transportation Records Matter?
A refrigerated truck may have temperature logs, sanitation records, or maintenance records from its previous commercial use.
Those records can provide useful operating history, particularly for a truck that transported temperature-sensitive products.
The FDA’s Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food guidance addresses certain food transportation activities and the responsibilities of covered parties. It does not create a universal FDA resale certificate for every used refrigerated truck.
Keep optional operational records separate from documents legally necessary to establish ownership and transfer the vehicle.
Title procedures, plate handling, seller notifications, and related obligations depend on the applicable state.
How Selling Your Refrigerated Truck to EasyTruckBuyer Works
Step 1. Submit Your Truck Details
Provide the year, make, model, mileage if known, current location, and general condition.
Include what you know about the insulated body and refrigeration unit, especially whether the truck and cooling equipment operate independently.
Step 2. Individual Vehicle Evaluation
EasyTruckBuyer reviews the submitted information to determine whether a purchase may be appropriate.
The truck’s specifications, refrigeration equipment, condition, location, and other relevant details may be considered.
Submitting an inquiry does not automatically produce an offer.
Step 3. Additional Details or Inspection if Needed
Additional photographs, specifications, ownership information, or an inspection may be requested.
These requirements depend on the particular vehicle and are not necessarily the same for every refrigerated truck.
Step 4. Review an Offer if Available
If EasyTruckBuyer makes an offer, review the proposed terms and any conditions that still need to be satisfied.
You can decide whether to accept the offer. No purchase is guaranteed merely because the truck was submitted.
Step 5. Confirm Paperwork and Payment Arrangements
For an accepted transaction, ownership documents, remaining verification requirements, and payment arrangements must be addressed.
Confirm the agreed payment method, timing, and transaction conditions before transferring the vehicle and its ownership documents.
Step 6. Coordinate Collection After an Accepted Purchase
Free towing is included with accepted truck purchases.
The collection arrangements are coordinated according to the vehicle’s condition, location, dimensions, and accessibility.
No universal collection or payment deadline is promised.
For more detail about the general process, visit How Selling Your Truck Works.
Refrigerated Truck Collection and Transportation Considerations
A refrigerated truck can require transportation planning beyond that of a smaller, conventional work vehicle.
Its insulated body, refrigeration unit, and installed loading equipment affect its overall configuration.
Height, Weight, and Attached Equipment
A refrigerated body and front-mounted or roof-mounted refrigeration equipment can affect the truck’s overall dimensions.
A liftgate, rear step, underbody equipment, or other permanently mounted component may also need to be considered when arranging transport.
Provide the dimensions you know, especially if the truck has a tall body or unusual equipment.
Do not assume that every refrigerated truck can be loaded onto the same transport vehicle.
Mobility and Access
If the truck cannot drive safely, describe whether its wheels are present and whether it can roll, steer, and brake.
Mention flat or missing tires, a damaged axle, steering problems, or other conditions that could complicate moving the vehicle.
Access details also matter. A truck parked inside a warehouse, beneath a low entrance, behind a restricted gate, or on unstable ground may require individual planning.
Cargo and Equipment Before Handover
Before an agreed collection, confirm how any remaining cargo, business inventory, personal belongings, and equipment not included in the sale will be handled.
If refrigerated cargo is still present, disclose that early rather than assuming it will be transported or disposed of as part of the truck purchase.
The vehicle’s actual mobility and access conditions must be considered when planning collection.
Free towing is provided with accepted purchases, not as a standalone towing service or for every inquiry. A purchase and collection from a particular location cannot be guaranteed before evaluation and agreement.
EasyTruckBuyer considers truck sellers across all 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii. You can review its nationwide truck-buying locations.
Other Ways to Sell a Refrigerated Truck
A direct buyer is one option. Depending on the truck’s condition and your circumstances, another selling route may be appropriate.
Private Sale or Specialist Truck Marketplace
A private buyer may be looking for a particular cargo-body size, refrigeration configuration, or working delivery vehicle.
You may have more control over the asking price and negotiations, but you must manage inquiries, viewings, condition disclosures, payment verification, and the transfer.
Buyers seeking a working reefer may request evidence of refrigeration performance.
Commercial Truck Dealer or Trade-In
A commercial truck dealer may consider purchasing the truck or accepting it toward another vehicle.
Interest can depend on the dealer’s inventory needs and the truck’s mechanical and refrigeration condition.
If a trade-in is offered, compare the proposed allowance and the overall cost of the replacement transaction.
Commercial Truck Auction
An auction may be worth considering for surplus fleet equipment, older trucks, or vehicles sold under clearly stated condition terms.
However, the sale price is uncertain. Review seller fees, transportation responsibilities, reserve arrangements, and other auction conditions before deciding.
Direct Evaluation Through EasyTruckBuyer
You can submit the refrigerated truck’s details directly to EasyTruckBuyer for consideration.
This may be useful when you want to describe a non-cooling unit, damaged insulated body, non-running chassis, or specialized configuration without first preparing a public listing.
The evaluation determines whether an offer is possible. Compare any proposed terms with your other available options rather than assuming one route is best for every truck.
Frequently Asked Questions About Selling Refrigerated Trucks
Can I submit a refrigerated truck with a broken Carrier or Thermo King unit?
Yes. You can submit a truck equipped with Carrier, Thermo King, or another refrigeration system even if the unit has a known defect.
Include the model, operating hours if available, and a description of the problem. The individual vehicle remains subject to evaluation, and purchase is not guaranteed.
Do I need to prove that the reefer reaches a particular temperature?
Not to begin an inquiry.
Describe its last known performance and whether the refrigeration system is currently working, malfunctioning, or untested.
A controller setpoint alone is not proof that the cargo space can maintain that temperature. Additional verification may be requested if appropriate.
What if I cannot find the refrigeration-unit operating hours?
You can submit the truck without an hour reading.
If the display is unavailable, broken, or does not show a separate hour meter, explain that. Do not substitute vehicle mileage or estimate unsupported refrigeration hours.
Can I sell a multi-temperature truck if only one zone works?
You can submit it for evaluation.
Describe which zones operate, which are defective, and whether partitions, evaporators, or control components are missing. The condition of each zone may be relevant to the overall assessment.
What if the reefer has electric standby that I have not tested?
Identify the standby equipment as installed but untested.
Do not claim that the feature is operational simply because a connector or standby control is present. If a technician previously diagnosed a problem, provide that information if available.
Can I submit a refrigerated box truck with its cooling unit removed?
Yes, you can submit the vehicle for consideration.
Explain that the refrigeration unit or components are missing, and describe the remaining insulated body and chassis. A truck without its cooling equipment is not equivalent to a complete working reefer truck, and an offer is not guaranteed.
What if the refrigeration unit is separately leased or financed?
Disclose the equipment’s ownership or financing arrangement before any sale is agreed.
The party selling the truck must have the necessary authority to transfer the equipment included in the transaction. Any required releases or permissions must be addressed as applicable.
Does EasyTruckBuyer consider refrigerated semitrailers?
This page is specifically about complete refrigerated trucks.
A detached refrigerated trailer is a separate asset and should not be assumed eligible under the truck-buying policy. Contact EasyTruckBuyer to ask whether that particular equipment can be considered.
Can a non-running refrigerated truck receive free towing?
Free towing is included if the truck is accepted for purchase.
A non-running vehicle can be submitted for evaluation, but collection planning depends on its condition and location. An inquiry alone does not qualify for towing or guarantee a purchase.
Can I submit several refrigerated trucks from a fleet?
Yes. EasyTruckBuyer considers inquiries involving multiple trucks.
Identify each vehicle separately, including its chassis specifications, refrigeration equipment, condition, operating hours where available, and location.
Not every submitted fleet vehicle is guaranteed an offer.
Ready to Have Your Refrigerated Truck Evaluated?
Whether your refrigerated truck still makes deliveries, has a cooling problem, or has been retired from service, begin with an accurate description of the vehicle.
Tell EasyTruckBuyer about the chassis, the refrigeration equipment, and the insulated body. Include what works, what needs attention, and anything you have not been able to verify.
EasyTruckBuyer has been buying trucks since 2007 and considers trucks from owners and businesses throughout all 50 states.
Offers depend on individual evaluation. No purchase is guaranteed. Free towing is included with accepted truck purchases.