A reefer container is a refrigerated intermodal shipping container fitted with an integral cooling unit, used to maintain precise temperature conditions for frozen or chilled cargo during sea, rail and road transport.
In trade practice
For frozen fruit and vegetables, the container is set to the contractually agreed temperature and pre-cooled before loading; fresh-air vent settings are adjusted per product type to manage CO₂ and moisture. Shippers attach a calibrated temperature data logger to provide a continuous record from loading to delivery. Common errors include loading without verifying the pre-cool temperature, incorrect vent settings for the commodity, and failure to book a power plug-in point at intermediate terminals, which requires a genset instead. The bill of lading and phytosanitary certificate must accompany the container.
In a specification
Purchase contracts and shipping instructions specify the set-point temperature, acceptable deviation range and the requirement for a continuous temperature log to be provided to the buyer on or before delivery.