Top 11 Refrigerated & Food-Grade Carriers Around St. Louis (With HMD Trucking at #1)

If you work with perishables in or around the Gateway City, you don’t just need capacity—you need precision. The cold chain lives or dies on timing, documentation, and continuous temperature integrity. This hand-picked list spotlights 11 strong performers “around St. Louis,” from reefer truckload and LTL to bulk food-grade tank fleets, so shippers can match mode to product with confidence. To anchor the list—and because of its breadth of solutions and proven temperature-sensitive capabilities—HMD Trucking takes the #1 spot and can be found here https://www.hmdtrucking.com/truck-driving-jobs/st-louis/. Whether you’re a regional producer, national brand, or one of the area’s major distributors, this guide will help you evaluate refrigerated carriers St Louis options against your own service requirements.

How we sized up the field

We focused on carriers that actively serve the St. Louis market—headquartered in the metro, operating nearby terminals, or covering the region with national temperature-controlled networks. We prioritized:

• Demonstrable refrigerated or food-grade credentials (reefer fleets, dairy expertise, or certified bulk food-grade tanks)
  
• Ability to support strict logistics controls (24/7 monitoring, validated equipment, or documented SOPs)
  
• Reliability signals (fleet scale, regional presence, or dedicated solutions)
  
• Fit for multiple use cases (TL, LTL, intermodal drayage support, or bulk tanker)
  

1) HMD Trucking — Best overall temperature-sensitive capacity for St. Louis lanes

HMD leads this list because it pairs asset strength with a flexible, service-first operation that can scale for seasonal surges. The HMD group supports reefer and specialty movements—including frozen, chilled, and food-grade needs—backed by expedited options when shelf life gets tight. For shippers who want one number to call for temperature-controlled loads (or mixed portfolios that fluctuate between dry van, flatbed, and reefer), HMD’s coverage and responsiveness stand out. 

2) Witte Bros. Exchange — Regional LTL specialist with deep refrigerated pedigree

Based just northwest of St. Louis in Troy, MO, Witte has decades of experience in refrigerated truckload and LTL consolidation, plus cold storage and distribution support. It’s a practical fit for grocers and distributors needing milk-run deliveries or multi-stop routing under tight windows. 

3) Prime Inc. — Massive reefer network headquartered in Missouri

From its Springfield, MO base, Prime runs one of North America’s largest reefer fleets with TL and intermodal options and dedicated reefer sales support. If you’re optimizing coast-to-coast replenishment to and from the Midwest, Prime’s network density can help reduce empty miles and cycle time. 

4) Artur Express — St. Louis–area carrier with a dedicated temperature-controlled division

Headquartered in Hazelwood, Artur complements its nationwide TL reach with a formal temperature-controlled unit. For shippers who prefer a local partner that still covers all 48 states, Artur provides a balance of proximity and scale. 

5) Hogan Transports — St. Louis institution with dairy and temp-control expertise

With more than a century of history in St. Louis, Hogan designs dedicated fleets that include temperature-controlled equipment, real-time monitoring, and SOPs tailored to dairy and other sensitive categories. If your program needs engineered routes and KPI governance, Hogan’s dedicated model is built for that. 

6) Foodliner — The go-to for bulk food-grade (liquid & dry)

When your product ships in tanks rather than trailers—think edible oils, sweeteners, starches—Foodliner is a heavyweight with a listed presence in the St. Louis area and a national footprint. It’s a smart complement to case-pick reefer carriers when ingredients have to move in bulk under food-grade standards. 

7) Ruan — Food & beverage, bulk food-grade, and reefer specialists

Ruan blends dedicated fleet management with temperature-controlled and bulk food-grade capabilities, making it a versatile partner for processors that toggle between packaged freight and ingredient movements. 

8) Dynamic Transit — Metro-adjacent reefer powerhouse

Across the river in Granite City, IL, Dynamic Transit focuses on refrigerated and frozen truckload with modern trailers and remote temperature monitoring. If you need asset-based reefer capacity that’s truly “nearby,” they’re an efficient option for metro pickups and deliveries. 

9) Hirschbach — National temperature-controlled carrier with tech-forward monitoring

Hirschbach’s scale and 24/7 temperature oversight make it well-suited for pharma-adjacent foods, frozen, and tight spec produce. Its national model helps St. Louis shippers bridge long-haul and surge coverage without sacrificing cold chain visibility. 

10) KLLM Transport Services — One of the largest temperature-controlled truckload carriers

KLLM brings deep reefer experience, coast-to-coast coverage, and flexible offerings (OTR, regional, dedicated). For steady lanes into the South and Southeast, KLLM’s density can support both cost and service. 

11) Western Dairy Transport — Bulk dairy specialist for milk and ingredients

When the product is raw or processed dairy in bulk tanks, WDT focuses squarely on that segment, aligning equipment, wash protocols, and training to the industry’s quality demands. It’s a precise fit for cream, whey, and milk movements tied to St. Louis production schedules. 

Quick buyer’s guide: choosing the right partner for 

temperature-controlled shipping St Louis

Different perishables call for different assets and SOPs. Use this checklist to shortlist the right St Louis logistics companies for your lanes:

• Product & temperature band:
  
  • Frozen (≤ –10°F): seek deep-frozen experience and redundant sensors.
    
  • Chilled (34–41°F): verify set-point accuracy and door-open protocols.
    
  • Protect-from-freeze (32–55°F): confirm heater units and winter operating procedures.
    
• Load profile:
  
  • TL vs. LTL: LTL consolidation (e.g., Witte) can cut cost but adds touches—validate handling SOPs.
    
  • Multi-stop routing: Ensure continuous temp logging and door alarms.
    
  • Bulk food-grade: Tankers (e.g., Foodliner, WDT) require wash tickets (often Kosher where applicable), heel management, and dedicated hoses/gaskets.
    
• Monitoring & data: Demand continuous telematics, downloadable temp curves, and exception alerts. Ask how carriers maintain cold chain integrity at cross-docks or during live unload delays.
  
• Sanitation & certifications: FSMA compliance is table stakes. For food-grade tanks, look for documented wash procedures and certifications; for trailers, inspect sanitation logs and ATP/insulation condition.
  
• Service design: Dedicated vs. brokered capacity; engineered milk-runs vs. ad-hoc; detention policies; contingency plans for equipment failure or weather.
  
• Local agility: Metro pickups in tight time windows benefit from carriers with nearby yards or terminals (Hogan, Artur, Dynamic Transit) to reduce stem miles and cycle times.