New vs Used Reefer Containers: What to Check Before Choosing
Choosing a refrigerated container? Here's how new and used reefers compare, what to inspect, the power you'll need, and single versus dual temperature.
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Choosing a refrigerated container is a different kind of decision than choosing a dry box. Steel and a size aren't all you're buying — you're buying a working refrigeration machine that has to hold a set temperature for years to come. Assuming you already know what a reefer (a refrigerated container, an insulated box built around a refrigeration unit) is, this guide focuses squarely on the buying choices: new versus used, what to inspect, the power you'll need, and whether single or dual temperature suits you.
Short version: new versus used reefer
Go new if maximum remaining machinery life, a clean cosmetic unit, and the fewest unknowns matter to you and the higher price fits your budget. Go used if budget outweighs appearance and you're willing to inspect the refrigeration unit closely — a used reefer costs less, but it also carries fewer years of compressor and component life. It's rarely the steel box that decides the question, since that lasts a long time regardless; the machinery's condition and its running hours are what actually matter.
What you're actually buying
Two products share one shell in a reefer: an insulated container and an integral refrigeration unit (the cooling machinery built into one end of the box). Lining the walls, floor, and ceiling, the insulation lets the unit hold a temperature without fighting the outside air. It's the refrigeration unit that does the work, and it's the part that wears, needs power, and eventually needs service.
You'll typically see two reefer sizes on offer: the 20ft and the 40ft high cube, the latter standing a foot taller than a standard box for extra vertical room. Because insulation eats into a reefer's usable space, it holds less cargo than a dry box built to the same outside dimensions. Tight sites and lower power draw favor the 20ft, while a 40ft high cube trades a larger footprint and heavier electrical load for the most cold capacity available.
New versus used reefers: the real tradeoffs
Price is the obvious gap, though not the only one. Full remaining machinery life, current refrigerant and controls, and a cosmetically clean box come with a new reefer. A used reefer trades a lower price for years already spent on the compressor and components. That risk is functional rather than cosmetic, so a scuffed exterior means nothing if the unit pulls temperature reliably, and a tidy paint job means nothing if the compressor is near the end of its life.
A used box with strong machinery and honest cosmetic wear is often the practical middle path. Going new buys certainty at a premium; going used buys savings that should fund a closer inspection before you commit.
What to inspect on a used reefer
A pre-trip inspection (PTI), the self-test confirming a refrigeration unit can pull and hold temperature, is the single most useful step, so ask whether the unit passed one recently and request the result. From there, a short checklist is worth working through before committing to a used reefer:
Running hours. Similar to engine hours on a generator, this figure tells you how hard the machinery has worked. Lower numbers are better, and very high hours can mean service is coming up sooner.
Door gaskets. Cold stays in thanks to the rubber seals around the doors. When gaskets are cracked, flattened, or torn, warm air leaks in, the unit runs harder, and power gets wasted. They can be replaced, but factor that cost in.
T-floor and insulation. Cold air channels under the cargo through the T-floor, the ridged aluminum floor. Confirm it's flat and unbroken, and watch for soft spots or water damage — signs of wet insulation, which kills cooling efficiency and costs real money to fix.
Set-point range. Make sure the unit can actually reach the temperature you need. A reefer built only to chill won't handle frozen storage, so match the set-point range to your product before buying.
Power and site requirements
Reefer buyers get caught out here more than anywhere else. Most reefers need 3-phase power (an industrial supply carrying three live conductors, common in commercial buildings but not homes), often at 460V. If your site lacks that supply, you'll need either an electrician to bring it in or a generator (a genset) sized for the unit. Going the genset route adds fuel and maintenance, but it lets you place a reefer wherever mains power isn't available.
Two siting details are easy to overlook. Matching the plug and receptacle type between the unit and your supply or genset needs confirming ahead of delivery day, not on it, and the refrigeration unit needs room to pull air and shed heat, so give it clearance rather than boxing the machinery end against a wall, which makes it run hot and work harder. A dual-temperature 20ft reefer is simpler to power and site than a 40ft unit when supply is limited.
Single versus dual temperature, and set-point range
One temperature governs the whole box on a standard reefer — either chilled (above freezing, suited to produce, dairy, and drinks) or frozen (well below freezing, for meat and frozen goods), never both at once within its set-point range. Splitting the interior into two zones is what a dual-temperature reefer does instead, running chilled on one side and frozen on the other within a single unit.
Flexibility trades against capacity here. Covering two needs in one box, a dual-temperature unit still gives you a smaller zone than the whole interior would be, and the hardware runs more complex. If you only ever hold one temperature, a single-temperature reefer gives you the full interior back and one less thing to maintain. A new high cube 40ft reefer is the usual pick when maximum single-temperature volume is what you need.
The real cost of running and maintaining one
Buy-once-and-forget doesn't describe a reefer. It draws power continuously, and holding a frozen set point costs more than a chilled one because the unit fights a bigger temperature gap. Budget electricity or fuel as an ongoing line item, not a one-time cost.
Reefer maintenance is real, though predictable: gaskets wear out, the unit needs periodic service, and only a qualified technician should touch the refrigerant system. That's the strongest reason to inspect a used unit carefully — over a year, a cheap reefer with tired machinery can end up costing more than a sound one would. A well-kept used high cube 40ft reefer makes a solid purchase as long as the PTI and running hours both hold up.
Questions we hear often
How does delivery work for a refrigerated container?
Insulation and machinery add real weight, so a reefer, unlike a light dry box, may need a crane to lift into place instead of sliding off a tilt-bed truck. Site access and clearance get checked before delivery, and once your site is confirmed, reefer orders typically fulfill in 7 to 10 business days.
Can one reefer run frozen and chilled together?
Only a dual-temperature unit can do that. Across the whole interior, a standard reefer holds just one set point. If both chilled and frozen at the same time is what you need, choose a dual-temperature reefer or run two separate units.
What kind of power does a reefer require?
3-phase power, frequently at 460V, runs most reefers, and where that supply isn't available, a correctly sized generator (genset) takes over instead. Before delivery, confirm your plug and receptacle type matches what the unit expects.
With size, condition, and target temperature settled, a price is the next step. Send us details on your site, your power supply, and the temperature you need to hold, and we'll return a free, itemized quote with no hidden fees, replying within 1 business day. For a closer look at reefers used as on-site cold storage, our guide to cold storage with a refrigerated container.
