Back-office automation for reefer carriers

Hey Bubba! is an AI back-office automation platform for fleets. For reefer carriers the work that matters most happens before booking. Reefer loads fail on details that are not in the posting, so Bubba confirms them with the broker first: the required temperature range, pre-cool, continuous logging and food-grade conditions. Anything outside normal parameters is flagged for a person to review rather than accepted.

The risk is not the rate, it is the claim

Reefer pays better than dry van for good reason. A temperature excursion does not just cost you the margin on the load. It can cost you the value of the freight, and produce or pharmaceutical claims can run well past what the haul was worth.

Many of those claims trace back to something not established at booking. The setpoint was assumed. Pre-cool was not specified. Continuous logging was expected and nobody said so. The load was accepted from a posting that said “reefer, 34 degrees” and the detail arrived at the dock.

Questions Bubba asks before booking

• Required temperature range, and whether the unit runs continuous or cycled
• Pre-cool requirement and target temperature before loading
• Whether continuous temperature logs are required at delivery
• Food-grade or sanitation conditions on the trailer
• Appointment windows, and whether the facility is first come first served
• Lumper fees and who pays them
• Detention terms, because reefer freight often waits longer than most

The answers attach to the load, so the driver knows the requirements before arrival and you have the terms on record if there is a dispute.

Non-standard specs go to a person

When temperature requirements fall outside normal parameters, Bubba flags the load for human review rather than booking it. That is deliberate. An unusual setpoint usually means either high value freight or a broker who copied the wrong figure, and both deserve a look.

Detention is a bigger problem on reefer

Grocery distribution centers and produce facilities are among the slowest to load and unload, and reefer carriers absorb a lot of unpaid waiting time. Bubba records the detention terms at booking, so the free time and the hourly rate are on file when the truck is held. Which terms to agree before you book.

Matching

Reefer matching accounts for refrigeration unit capability, pre-cool requirements and trailer temperature settings alongside truck position, driver availability and Hours of Service.

At any fleet size

• Owner-operators. The specification questions still get asked when you are booking between stops.
• Small fleets, 2 to 10 trucks. The same pre-booking checks on every load, so nothing arrives at the dock with a surprise.
• Midsize and enterprise, 11 or more trucks. Documented temperature requirements per load, which matters when a claim is contested.

The specification follows the load

The details established at booking (setpoint, pre-cool, logging requirements, detention terms) are exactly what you need on record weeks later when a claim is contested or a detention invoice is queried. They stay attached to the load through delivery, billing and any dispute, alongside the rate confirmation they were agreed on.

Frequently asked questions

Does Bubba check temperature requirements before booking?

Yes. The required range, pre-cool and continuous logging requirements are confirmed with the broker and attached to the load.

What happens with unusual temperature specs?

The load is flagged for human review rather than booked automatically.

Does it handle food-grade requirements?

Food-grade and sanitation conditions are among the details Bubba confirms with the broker before booking.

Does it record detention terms?

Yes. Free time and the detention rate are captured at booking and kept with the load, so they are on file if the truck is held.

Related

• Automate rate confirmations
• How to calculate load profitability
• Reefer trucking companies directory