A reefer sitting on a chassis doesn't stop pulling power just because the ship already unloaded it. Every hour that container sits plugged into a terminal pedestal gets billed, and the rate depends on which terminal you're at, what size box you're running, and how long it's been connected. Get the numbers wrong on a quote and the reefer surcharge eats the margin on the whole move.
What PortMiami Charges for Reefer Power
PortMiami's tariff sets electrical current charges for refrigerated containers by size, billed per 24-hour period or any fraction of it. That last part matters. Plug in at 11 PM and get pulled at 1 AM, and you still owe a full day's rate.
These rates cover the electricity itself, not the labor to hook up or disconnect the box. Terminals bill that separately, and it shows up on the same invoice as a line item most people don't expect the first time they see it.
Port Everglades Reefer Power Rates
Port Everglades runs multiple terminal operators, and rates vary by which one handles your box. Florida International Terminal (FIT) bills a flat electrical connection charge regardless of container size, while other operators on the port split rates by equipment type and add a separate monitoring fee once free time runs out.
That monitoring fee is the one that catches shippers off guard. Two working days sounds generous until a container lands on a Friday and your receiving dock doesn't reopen until Monday. The clock doesn't pause for the weekend.
The Fees That Get Added on Top
Reefer power rates never travel alone. A full reefer invoice usually stacks the base electrical charge with several add-ons, and knowing them ahead of time keeps a quote from turning into a surprise.
- Hookup and disconnect fees, charged per event regardless of how long the container stays plugged in
- Pre-trip inspection charges when a steamship line or receiver requests a functional test before release
- Monitoring fees on some terminals after free time expires, separate from the electrical rate itself
- Genset rental if the container needs power outside the terminal, at a different rate structure entirely
- Processing fees some terminals bill monthly to any carrier that connected to shore power during the billing cycle
A single reefer move can carry three or four of these line items before the truck ever leaves the yard. Ocean carriers typically absorb the port-side electrical charges as part of the freight contract, but that's not universal. Check the bill of lading terms before assuming who's on the hook.
Who Actually Pays the Plug-In Bill
Terminal tariffs name the party responsible for reefer electrical charges, and it's usually the ocean carrier, not the drayage company or the drayage company's customer. The tariffs at both PortMiami and Port Everglades work the same way: the steamship line requests the power, and the steamship line gets billed.
The confusion happens at the handoff point. Once a driver pulls the reefer off the terminal chassis, the electrical clock the tariff describes stops mattering, and genset and fuel costs take over.
Budgeting Reefer Power Into a Quote
For shippers comparing drayage quotes on temperature-controlled freight, the plug-in rate itself rarely lands on your invoice directly. It's baked into the ocean freight, or it shows up as a reefer surcharge from the drayage carrier covering post-terminal power. Asking the right questions before booking is what matters.
- Ask whether the quoted rate includes or excludes reefer surcharges tied to genset use after pickup
- Confirm which terminal the container lands at: FIT, Everport, and POMTOC each have different rates and fee structures
- Check the free time window for monitoring fees if pickup might slip past two working days
- Get hookup and pre-trip charges itemized separately so they don't get buried in a lump reefer fee
Reefer freight costs more than dry van freight for a reason, and terminal power is a real piece of that math. Knowing the actual rate structure, not just a rough estimate, separates a quote that holds up from one that gets revised after the invoice arrives.