New 40ft High Cube Refrigerated Container (One-Trip)

A new 40ft high cube refrigerated container is a one-trip reefer that stands 9′6″ (2.90 m) tall: both the box and its refrigeration machinery are new, and they’ve made a single cargo voyage before being sold. Our starting price this week is $27,500, before delivery and sales tax. The sellers we track stock it at depots in the Northwest, so expect a higher delivered price the farther you are from them.

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A new 40ft reefer has its unit maker’s warranty on top of the seller’s cover for the box, so read both when you compare quotes.

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A 40ft high cube or a 20ft reefer?

Inside, the 40ft high cube gives you about 2,390–2,400 cu ft (67.7–68 m³), roughly 2.4 times the space of a 20ft reefer, on a floor of about 38′ × 7′6″, or around 285 sq ft (26.5 m²). The extra height shows inside as well: 7′11″–8′4″ of headroom and a door opening up to 8′5″ tall, against 7′1″–7′5″ and 7′5″ in a 20ft reefer.

This week the starting prices are only $500 apart: a new 20ft reefer starts at $27,000. That holds near the Northwest depots our 40ft price comes from; most other 40ft listings this week were higher, up to $34,999. If you need less than about 1,000 cu ft of cold space, or your site is too tight for a 40-foot delivery, the 20ft is the easier fit.

New or used 40ft high cube reefer?

A used 40ft high cube reefer with working machinery starts at $8,450 this week, and a non-working one, which won’t cool, at $5,000. New costs about $19,000 more than used with working machinery. That money buys a new box and a refrigeration unit under its manufacturer’s warranty, where used machinery carries only what the seller offers. A used 40ft high cube reefer makes sense for seasonal overflow or a first cold room on a budget; a new one earns its price when the container will hold product year-round.

Good for: long-term chilled or frozen storage with a high ceiling.

Power and temperature

Like any marine reefer, it runs on three-phase power, usually 460 V in the US, and won’t plug into a regular outlet. If your building has 208–230 V three-phase, ask for a voltage transformer in your request. The seller we track for this model rates it for interior temperatures as low as −10 °F (−23 °C). Power requirements and temperature ranges.

Specs in feet and metric

New 40ft High Cube Refrigerated Container (One-Trip): typical specifications
Measurement	Feet, inches, pounds	Metric
Outside (L × W × H)	40′ × 8′ × 9′6″	12.19 × 2.44 × 2.90 m
Inside (L × W × H)	about 38′ × 7′6″ × 7′11″–8′4″	about 11.58–11.60 × 2.29 × 2.43–2.56 m
Door opening (W × H)	about 7′6″ × 8′4″–8′5″	about 2.29 × 2.56–2.57 m
Inside volume	about 2,390–2,400 cu ft	about 67.7–68 m³
Empty weight (tare)	about 9,480–10,450 lb	about 4,300–4,740 kg
Max. payload	about 63,400–65,210 lb	about 28,760–29,580 kg
Max. gross weight	74,960 lb	34,000 kg
Tilt-bed truck access	100–120 ft (30–37 m) of straight approach, 10–14 ft (3–4.3 m) wide; 14–16 ft (4.3–4.9 m) of overhead clearance, about 20 ft (6 m) where the container tilts off; ground that’s firm, dry and level (5° slope at most)

Sources: ISO 668 (type 1AAA, 40ft high cube); 40ft high cube reefer (ISO code 45R1) specs from two ocean carriers and a seller. Your container’s exact weights are marked on its doors.

Delivery

Reefers ship from the depot of the seller you choose; ask it which truck it sends and how much space it needs. In your request, say which way the doors should face and where your three-phase power supply is, so the seller can place the container with its refrigeration unit close to the power.

Delivery cost and site checklist · container foundation options

Frequently asked questions

How much does a 40ft reefer container cost?

$27,500 is our starting price this week, before delivery and sales tax. Across the 41 public listings we recorded for a new 40ft high cube reefer, prices ran from $27,500 to $34,999, and only about 1 in 14 was at or below our price, which comes from three Northwest depots. Used, a 40ft high cube reefer starts at $8,450 with working machinery or $5,000 non-working. How we set reefer prices.

How heavy is a 40-foot reefer container?

Empty, a 40ft high cube reefer weighs about 9,480–10,450 lb (4,300–4,740 kg), 880 to 2,250 lb more than a dry 40ft high cube, because of its insulation and refrigeration unit. Fully loaded, it can weigh up to 74,960 lb (34,000 kg).

What is the maximum capacity of a 40-foot reefer?

About 2,390–2,400 cu ft (67.7–68 m³) of space, about 300 cu ft less than a dry 40ft high cube, since the insulated walls and the unit at one end take up room, and a maximum payload of about 63,400–65,210 lb (28,760–29,580 kg), depending on the manufacturer.

Can I get a butcher door or interior curtains?

Not on a single standard unit. One seller we track offers factory options such as heavy-duty interior curtains, a safety door that opens from the inside, a panic alarm and remote monitoring on orders of ten units or more; a butcher door isn’t on that list. Ask for a quote, and sellers will say what’s possible.