Hire of refrigerated units is a great idea for storing or transporting temperature sensitive goods. This kind of container hire is most commonly available in 20 and 40 foot sizes. Refrigerated container hire is usually more expensive than regular shipping containers so it is often a good idea to rent them for a trial before you buy. If you find that they meet your needs adequately, then you can consider buying at a later date.
Kinds of Refrigerated Container Hire
There are a couple of different kinds of shipping container hire units that are refrigerated.
These include:
- Integral unit container hire (integral reefer container, integrated unit)
- Porthole container hireage
An integral unit is one that has a refrigeration system fitted into it to control the temperature. The downside to these is that some of the internal volume of the container is lost to make room for the refrigeration unit. While they are being shipped they generally need an external power source to connect to the container to cool the goods inside. Alternatively, an external generator may be added to the container.
Porthole containers are not so much refrigerated as insulated. They do not have their own refrigeration system, but they are connected to the ship’s cooling system during transportation in order to keep items inside cool. Cool air is pumped into the container at the bottom and the warmer air is removed at the top. Since there is no actual refrigeration system in place, porthole containers tend to be a more affordable choice than an integral unit. Once a porthole unit is offloaded from a ship, they have an external unit attached to them to keep the stock inside the container cool and in good condition. One potential problem with porthole containers when transporting is that once an external refrigeration unit is added to the unit it will no longer meet ISO sizing standards. Some shipping companies will not transport containers that do not conform to the ISO standards.
Refrigerated containers are necessary to ship a lot of goods worldwide, but you can rent them for a number of uses close to home too at an affordable price. Carefully considering the kind of container you need is important in order to reduce costs, where possible, while protecting the goods you are transporting.
