A method and system to determine a hot cargo load condition of a cargo load in a refrigerated container includes providing a plurality of sensors disposed within the refrigerated container, operating the refrigeration unit with a set of desired operational parameters corresponding to the cargo load, analyzing a plurality of sensor readings corresponding to the plurality of sensors via a processor, creating a temperature distribution profile of the refrigerated container corresponding to the plurality of sensor readings via the processor, retrieving a historical temperature distribution profile corresponding to the cargo load via a historical database, comparing the temperature distribution profile to the historical temperature distribution profile via the processor, and identifying the hot cargo load condition in response to the temperature distribution profile exceeding the historical temperature distribution profile via the processor.