Illustrative image Used Refrigerated Standard height
20ft Refrigerated Container (Reefer) — Used
from $6,750
Non-working · starting price as of Oct 21, 2026
Grades: working or non-working
Refrigerated Shipping Containers for Sale (Reefers)
A refrigerated shipping container, or reefer, is an insulated steel container with its own refrigeration unit, built to keep goods chilled or frozen. Request quotes for used and new reefers in 20ft and 40ft high cube from sellers that stock them. This week they start at $5,000 for a non-working 40ft high cube and $8,450 for a working 40ft high cube, before delivery and sales tax.
Reefer containers for sale
Reefer prices on the cards date from Oct 21, 2026 and don’t include delivery or sales tax. Your request gets you quotes with availability, the delivered price and a date, and you owe nothing unless you accept one.
Illustrative image 
Illustrative image Used Refrigerated High cube
40ft High Cube Refrigerated Container (Reefer) — Used
from $5,000
Non-working · starting price as of Oct 21, 2026
Grades: working or non-working
Illustrative image New · one-trip Refrigerated Standard height
20ft Refrigerated Container (Reefer) — New (One-Trip)
from $27,000
Starting price as of Oct 21, 2026
Machinery under manufacturer’s warranty
Illustrative image New · one-trip Refrigerated High cube
40ft High Cube Refrigerated Container (Reefer) — New (One-Trip)
from $27,500
Starting price as of Oct 21, 2026
Machinery under manufacturer’s warranty
Compare refrigerated containers
| Container | From | Refrigeration unit |
|---|---|---|
| 20ft reeferUsed, working (cargo worthy) | $8,950 | Runs and cools; guarantee set by the seller |
| 20ft reeferUsed, non-working (wind & watertight) | $6,750 | Doesn’t run |
| 20ft reeferNew (one-trip) | $27,000 | Manufacturer’s warranty |
| 40ft high cube reeferUsed, working (cargo worthy) | $8,450 | Runs and cools; guarantee set by the seller |
| 40ft high cube reeferUsed, non-working (wind & watertight) | $5,000 | Doesn’t run |
| 40ft high cube reeferNew (one-trip) | $27,500 | Manufacturer’s warranty |
Working or non-working?
- Working (cargo worthy): a cargo worthy insulated box with refrigeration machinery that runs and cools. Power it up at delivery: it has to cool, and check in each quote whether you can refuse it if it doesn’t and how long the seller guarantees the machinery.
- Non-working (wind & watertight): the same insulated box, wind and watertight, but the refrigeration unit doesn’t run. It’s insulated storage for dry goods and equipment, and the least expensive way to get a reefer box.
- New (one-trip): new machinery covered by its manufacturer’s warranty, on a box that has carried cargo once.
The seller’s guarantee. The seller you choose sets what’s guaranteed and for how long, what you can refuse at delivery, how you pay and how you can cancel; check that each quote puts it in writing, so you can compare before you accept. Our service is free, your request goes to up to 5 sellers we’ve checked for licensing and insurance, and you don’t have to accept any quote. What to check in a quote.
Power and temperature
Power: standard reefer machinery runs on three-phase power, nominally 380–460 V (in the US, usually 460 V at 60 Hz), not on ordinary single-phase household current. Where an autotransformer is fitted, it can also run on 190–230 V three-phase. Say what power your site has in your request, and ask each seller for the unit’s requirements.
Temperature: the setpoint range depends on the refrigeration unit, for example −31 °F to +86 °F (−35 °C to +30 °C) on a Carrier PrimeLINE and −40 °F to +86 °F (−40 °C to +30 °C) on a Thermo King Magnum Plus. The unit brand and model vary from container to container, and the quote you get lists the exact unit on yours.
Homes usually have single-phase power, so have an electrician check your supply before you order. In your request, tell us the temperature you need to hold, the power available on site (voltage and phase), and where the supply is, so the container can be placed with its refrigeration unit near it.
Reefer sizes and weights
| Measurement | 20ft reefer | 40ft high cube reefer |
|---|---|---|
| Outside (L × W × H) | 19′10½″ × 8′ × 8′6″ (6.06 × 2.44 × 2.59 m) | 40′ × 8′ × 9′6″ (12.19 × 2.44 × 2.90 m) |
| Inside (L × W × H) | about 17′10″ × 7′6″ × 7′1″–7′5″ (5.45 × 2.28–2.29 × 2.16–2.27 m) | about 38′ × 7′6″ × 7′11″–8′4″ (11.58–11.60 × 2.29 × 2.43–2.56 m) |
| Door opening (W × H) | about 7′6″ × 7′5″ (2.29 × 2.26 m) | about 7′6″ × 8′4″–8′5″ (2.29 × 2.56–2.57 m) |
| Inside volume | about 990–1,010 cu ft (28.1–28.6 m³) | about 2,390–2,400 cu ft (67.7–68 m³) |
| Empty weight (tare) | about 6,300–6,640 lb (2,860–3,010 kg) | about 9,480–10,450 lb (4,300–4,740 kg) |
| Max. payload | about 60,560–64,240 lb (27,470–29,140 kg) | about 63,400–65,210 lb (28,760–29,580 kg) |
| Max. gross weight | 67,200–70,550 lb (30,480–32,000 kg) | 74,960 lb (34,000 kg) |
Sources: ISO 668 outside dimensions; ocean carrier reefer fleet specifications. Figures vary by manufacturer; the exact tare and max gross weight are marked on the doors and the CSC safety plate. Insulation in the walls, roof and floor, plus the refrigeration unit at one end, make a reefer smaller inside than a dry container: compare with a dry 20ft container.
Delivery
Each quote prices delivery from the seller’s depot, with the truck type and the space you need. With a tilt-bed truck, plan for 60–80 ft (18–24 m) of straight, open approach for a 20ft and 100–120 ft (30–37 m) for a 40ft, 10–14 ft (3–4.3 m) of width and 14–16 ft (4.3–4.9 m) of overhead clearance, on ground that’s firm, dry and level (5° slope at most). Delivery cost and site checklist.
What is a reefer container?
It’s the shipping industry’s word for a refrigerated container: an insulated shipping container with its own electric refrigeration unit at one end, set chilled or frozen. How the unit works, the power it needs on land and how it compares with an insulated container: our reefer guide. Looking for a standard dry container instead? See all shipping containers.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 20 ft refrigerated container cost?
This week, a used 20ft reefer starts at $8,950 with working machinery and $6,750 non-working, and a new one-trip 20ft at $27,000, before delivery and sales tax. Used 20ft reefer · new 20ft reefer.
How much does a 40-foot refrigerated container cost?
This week, a used 40ft high cube reefer starts at $8,450 with working machinery and $5,000 non-working, and a new one-trip one at $27,500, before delivery and sales tax. Used 40ft high cube reefer · new 40ft high cube reefer.
How much does a new reefer container cost?
$27,000 for a 20ft and $27,500 for a 40ft high cube this week, before delivery and sales tax: roughly 3 to 5.5 times the price of a used reefer of the same size. You’re paying for a box that has crossed the ocean once and a refrigeration unit that’s new and covered by its manufacturer’s warranty.
Where can I buy a 20ft reefer?
On this site: request quotes for used and new 20ft reefers, and up to 5 sellers that stock them send you availability, a delivered price and a date. Used 20ft reefer.
Is a reefer a freezer?
Yes, a working reefer can run below freezing. Its controller can be set as low as −31 °F or −40 °F depending on the unit, but how cold it holds depends on the unit’s age and condition and on the weather. Give the temperature you need in your request, and ask each seller whether the unit can hold it. A non-working reefer is only an insulated box.
What is a non-operating reefer container?
Shipping lines say “NOR” for a reefer that sails with its unit off, carrying dry goods; the unit may be perfectly fine. Resellers also use the term for a used reefer whose unit doesn’t run, which is what’s listed here as non-working: insulated walls and sound door seals make it insulated storage, but it can’t cool on its own.