Standard motor truck cargo policies exclude losses caused by refrigeration failure. If your reefer unit dies and $60K of strawberries spoil, you're not covered — unless you have the reefer breakdown endorsement.
The endorsement usually requires: continuous temperature monitoring, pre-trip inspection records, fuel sufficient for the trip, and a functional download if the load spoils. Fail any of those and the claim gets denied.
Common gotcha: coverage often excludes losses discovered after the load is delivered and accepted. You have to catch spoilage before the receiver signs — otherwise the claim shifts to a shipper/receiver dispute.
Cargo limits should match the highest-value load you'll haul, not the average. A single produce or pharma load can exceed $100K, so many reefer operators carry $250K.
If you're new to reefer, get an agent who understands the endorsement language — the wording varies significantly between carriers and it directly determines whether a real loss gets paid.