Tailored Refrigerated Solutions
The shipping containers you need, where you need them.
Find a location near youTailored Refrigerated Solutions for Your Temperature-Sensitive Needs
ConGlobal is here to help you find the best refrigerated container for your unique needs — and at a great price.
What are refrigerated containers used for?
Refrigerated containers (also known as reefers) have been in use for more than 40 years. The initial intent of reefers was to ship temperature-sensitive frozen or chilled products long distances.
What types of products ship in reefers?
Many everyday products purchased at grocery stores, wholesale clubs, and specialty stores ship worldwide in refrigerated containers. Products commonly shipped in reefers include:
- meats
- cheeses
- chocolates
- fish
- fruits
- vegetables
Flowers, blood plasma, and film are other products that use refrigerated containers for transportation.
What are refrigerated containers made out of?
Two key components make up a reefer: the flooring and the refrigeration unit.
Flooring
Flooring is an important part of a refrigerated container because the flooring system impacts the function and reliability of the reefer. There are two common types of floors for refrigerated trailers: 1. flat flooring for pallets 2. refer duct, also known as corrugated, T floors.
- Flat floors are ideal for walk-in storage with shelving units, like the reefers used by restaurants or grocery stores. Flat floors are also suitable for using moveable divider walls called bulkheads, which seal tightly on the floor surface to create multiple temperature zones. Flat floors are not prone to collect debris or snag pallets and are easier to clean.
- Reefer duct floors, also known as corrugated T floors, can serve a variety of cargo types. This aluminum flooring usually consists of extruded “T” planks running the entire container length. These slightly raised planks allow the air to circulate across the bottom of the container to the double doors and push air back to the refrigeration unit, maximizing airflow for even temperature distribution. T floors are rated for forklifts to load and unload them.
Refrigeration Units
Refrigeration units are made of the following components:
- a compressor
- a controller
- evaporator fans
- fresh air vents
- the unit evaporator
- condenser sections
These components operate together to maintain the temperature inside the container. Reefer containers can also be equipped with hot gas heat or electrical heating elements to heat interior.
What are the components of a refrigeration unit and what purpose do they serve?
- Evaporator fans are located inside the reefer to circulate air and promote adequate temperature control and stability.
- The controller is a computer that manages setpoints for specific interior temperatures, when the alarm should alert, and ventilation and humidity levels.
- The fresh air vent pulls air from the outside to push out gases inside the container, like ethylene gas, a ripening agent that can spoil fresh fruit.
- The evaporator section removes excess moisture in a reefer that can damage products, quicken food spoilage, and break down packaging. The evaporator section removes moisture by either heating or cooling the air circulating past the fan.
- Condensers remove heat from the interior of a refrigerated container and are cooled by air or water. The most common type is air-cooled, and cooling happens in the external coil and fan of the unit.
- A voltage transformer provides proper voltage to a reefer if the supply voltage is different than the standard 480V, 3 Phase electricity they usually run on. The most common step-up transformers are 230V to 480V and 208V to 480V. It is imperative to know the site voltage to supply the proper transformer. Supplying improper voltage can damage the reefer and reduce service life.
Generator sets (also called “Gensets”) power the refrigeration components when a reefer doesn’t have access to power. There are two types of Gensets:
- a clip-on unit attached to the front or side of the refrigerated container
- underslung Gensets, which mount beneath the frame on the chassis
What are the different types of reefer containers?
One-trip reefers have made only one trip across the ocean and will arrive in excellent condition with all components working reliably.
Reefers come in 10′, 20′, and 40′ sizes. ConGlobal’s refrigerated containers are equipped with new Carrier brand refrigeration units. These units have stainless steel exteriors and interiors, and double rear doors. They can maintain temperatures between -30° F to 80° F. Each new reefer includes a 5-year factory warranty.
Seagoing refrigerated containers come in two standard sizes: 20′ x 8′ and 40′ x 8′. At ConGlobal, these used reefer containers undergo rigorous testing by our trained and certified onsite technicians who confirm that every unit can hold precise and consistent temperatures or replace components if they don’t.
10’ custom reefers are well suited for sites where space is limited. The box ‘shell’ is all-new made to specification featuring stainless steel interior and exterior walls, is 10′ x 8′ wide by 8’6″ tall, and has double doors at the rear. A new or refurbished refrigeration machine is installed in these boxes to fit on off-shore rigs, transport boats, or barge applications. Rated for 460V, 40A service, 15KVA, 230V is also available. It can be used as a freezer or chiller with control temps from -35° C to 30° C (with a new Magnum unit).
Multi-temperature (dual temp) reefers are perfect for storing frozen and chilled products in the same container. To make a multi-temperature refrigerated container, we modify one of ConGlobal’s standard storage containers by installing a partition that creates two compartments, each with own temperature control. Want to add a section? No problem, slide the bulkhead accordingly.
How are climate-controlled containers used?
Reefers have decades of use transporting perishable and delicate materials like meat, fish, dairy, vegetables, flowers and plants, blood plasma, film, and reagents for testing that would go bad during a long ocean crossing. While refrigerated shipping containers’ primary use is for moving cold cargo, there are many other uses.
ITS ConGlobal leases reefers for temporary and long-term storage in the domestic market, and our customers have found some very creative uses for refrigerated containers.
When to Lease or Buy
Examples of Refrigerated Container Uses
Cold Room
Refrigerated containers can be delivered and plugged in to create an instant cold room.
This option is particularly popular with festival and event organizers that need a temporary temperature-controlled room and for restaurants and grocery stores that need additional cold storage during peak seasons like Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Mobile Lab
A reefer container makes an excellent mobile lab because it is secure, weatherproof, durable, and temperature controlled. These are used for purposes like blood drives and banks or testing sites.
The design and manufacturing of shipping container labs happen off-site, and the controlled environment is delivered ready for use.
Disaster Relief
When disaster strikes, a reefer shipping container can quickly move vast quantities of medicine, food, and other life-saving goods to bring relief to areas that have suffered through a catastrophic event
Food Banks
Refrigerated containers allow food banks to accept larger volumes of food. Storing goods in a temperature-controlled environment extends the shelf-life so donated goods can be distributed to the community when they’re needed and without risk of spoilage.
Temporary and Just-in-Time Cold Storage
Some customers transfer cold goods to refrigerated units during facility upgrades. Others use them to mitigate supply chain disruptions, adding extra cold storage so they always have enough inventory on hand, even if it takes long to be restocked.
Ice Storage
Southern states use refrigerated containers to store ice for concrete pours. Ice is far more effective at controlling concrete temperature than cold water. Using ice helps slow down the cement hydration process, allowing the mixture to process and achieve optimal strength.
What Refrigerated Container Options Are Available?
- Used 20’ or 40’ HC
- New 10’, 20’ or 40’ HC
- Stainless steel interior and exterior wall panels
- Aluminum floor with ‘T’ profile, suitable for forklift traffic
- Double doors in end opposite machine
- Variable temperature setting options from -20F to 70F
- Power required: 460V 3phase (40A and 15KVA service). Also available with 230V 3phase
- Economical options for used boxes with new machines available
How to Buy a Refrigerated Container
ITS ConGlobal is a certified dealer and service provider for the leading refrigeration companies Carrier, Thermoking, Daikin, and Starcool. If you want to learn more about ConGlobal’s refrigerated container options, start by getting a quote.
Reefers for Sale: Which Reefers Are In Stock?
ConGlobal has new refrigerated containers, dual-temperature reefers, and customer reefers for sale.
Custom Reefers
10’ Custom Reefers are ideal for offshore rigs, transport boats, or barge applications with limited space.
The box ‘shell’ is all new, built to our specifications, and features stainless steel interior and exterior walls. We can fit a new or refurbished refrigeration unit into these boxes to suit your needs.
Features:
- 10′ x 8′ wide x 8’6″ tall exterior dimensions
- 8′ x 7’6″ x 7’6″ tall interior space
- Stainless steel interior and exterior wall panels
- Extruded aluminum floor with raised ‘T’ profile, suitable for forklift traffic
- Double doors in the rear
- 460V 3 Phase, 40A service, 15KVA, 230V also available
- It can be used as a freezer or chiller
- Controls temp from -35 C to 40 C (with new Magnum unit)
New Reefers
10’, 20’, & 40’ new reefers offer the highest performance and reliability. A new container equipped with a new Carrier 69NT40-541 refrigeration unit is good to -22 F and comes with a 1/3/3 factory warranty.
Brand new 10′, 20′, and 40′ reefers are in stock ready for immediate delivery.
Features:
- New Carrier 69NT40-541 Refrigeration Machine
- 1/3/3 factory warranty: 1 year complete unit, 3 year motors, 3 year compressor
- Controls temperatures from -22 F to 80 F
- 460V 3 Phase, 40A service, 15KVA, 230V available
- Stainless steel interiors and exteriors
- Extruded aluminum floor with raised ‘T’ profile, suitable for forklift traffic
- Double doors in rear
Dual-Temperature Reefers
Dual-temperature reefers allow you to ship or store both frozen and chilled products in the same container.
We start with one of our standard containers and install a partition, making two separate temperature controllable compartments. The partition separating the compartments has a pass-through door allowing easy access to the freezer compartment.
We offer two versions – the fixed partition and the movable partition.
> The fixed partition offers superior temperature control.
> The movable partition allows you to very compartment size as needed. For instance, if you need to add more freezer space temporarily, just slide the bulkhead accordingly.
