Home / Logistics Knowledge / Container Types & Sizes / 20ft Reefer Container (20RF)
The 20RF is a refrigerated container with a built-in cooling unit working from about −25 °C to +25 °C. The insulated walls make it hold about 15% less than a 20GP, and it costs more to ship, but it is essential for temperature-controlled cargo.
The 20RF is a temperature-controlled container with a built-in refrigeration unit, working from about −25 °C to +25 °C. The walls are thicker (foam-insulated), so it holds about 15% less volume than a 20GP and costs more to ship — but it is irreplaceable for frozen, chilled, fresh and pharmaceutical cargo.
Structurally, one end holds the box and the front-top end holds the refrigeration unit; inside is a metal floor with T-rails. Cold air leaves the bottom and returns along the side walls in a loop. It can only hold temperature, not quickly cool warm cargo — the goods must be pre-cooled to the set point in a cold store first. At sea it runs on the ship's reefer power sockets, in the yard on shore power, and on the road from a genset or plug-in.
Full name: 20-foot Refrigerated (Reefer) Container
A single piece must be no longer than the 5,456 mm internal length, no wider than 2,290 mm and no higher than 2,273 mm; the door opening is 2,290 mm wide × 2,264 mm high. Leave a return-air channel along both side walls — never pack tight against them.
| Dimension | mm | cm | m | ft & in | in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length | 5456 | 545.6 | 5.456 | 17 ft 10.8 in | 214.8 |
| Width | 2290 | 229.0 | 2.290 | 7 ft 6.2 in | 90.2 |
| Height | 2273 | 227.3 | 2.273 | 7 ft 5.5 in | 89.5 |
| Door opening width | 2290 | 229.0 | 2.290 | 7 ft 6.2 in | 90.2 |
| Door opening height | 2264 | 226.4 | 2.264 | 7 ft 5.1 in | 89.1 |
| Dimension | mm | cm | m | ft & in | in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length | 6058 | 605.8 | 6.058 | 19 ft 10.5 in | 238.5 |
| Width | 2438 | 243.8 | 2.438 | 7 ft 12.0 in | 96.0 |
| Height | 2591 | 259.1 | 2.591 | 8 ft 6.0 in | 102.0 |
| Door opening width | 2290 | 229.0 | 2.290 | 7 ft 6.2 in | 90.2 |
| Door opening height | 2264 | 226.4 | 2.264 | 7 ft 5.1 in | 89.1 |
| Item | Tonnes (t) | Kilograms (kg) | Pounds (lb) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tare weight (empty) | 3.00 – 3.20 | 3,000 – 3,200 | 6,614 – 7,055 |
| Maximum payload (net cargo) | 27.40 | 27,400 | 60,407 |
| Maximum gross weight (box + cargo) | 30.48 | 30,480 | 67,197 |
New (one-trip) 20RF containers have just left the factory or carried a single load: flat panels, tight door seals and no corrosion, which makes them the right choice for food, precision goods and long-term leasing. Used (multi-trip) 20RF boxes have years of ocean service behind them and may show dents, light rust and worn flooring, but a structurally sound unit that passes a cargo-worthy survey still ships perfectly normally.
With a reefer the machinery matters as much as the box. Ask for the Pre-Trip Inspection report, check the compressor hours and the door gaskets, and look for impact damage to the unit. On the second-hand market a dead reefer that only insulates is worth a fraction of a working one.
For a 20RF, most exporters simply take the carrier’s “cargo worthy” unit, because the shipping line is responsible for the box being fit for carriage at the moment it is picked up. If you buy your own container instead, pricing is graded by age and condition: CW (cargo worthy), WWT (wind and water tight) and AS-IS (sold as seen).
A 20ft reefer (with its cooling unit) is far pricier than a dry box: new / one-trip units about USD 8,000–18,000 depending on the unit brand (Carrier, Thermo King, Daikin) and spec.
A working used reefer about USD 5,000–9,000; a dead unit kept only as insulation about USD 3,000–5,500.
Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, COSCO, OOCL, Hapag-Lloyd, ONE and Evergreen all build to the same ISO standards, so the external dimensions of a 20RF match the standard exactly and the box can be stacked and interchanged on board and on the chassis without adaptation.
Across carriers, the practical differences for a 20RF are in box age and condition (new units are assigned to the mainline services), the builder (CIMC, Singamas, CXIC, Maersk Container Industry and others), small variations in the tare and payload figures stamped on the plate, and the configuration of special equipment — reefer unit brand, tarpaulin type on an open-top, folding versus fixed end walls on a flat-rack. Mention heavy, over-height or specialised cargo at booking so the carrier allocates the right unit.
For reefers, ask which unit brand and which temperature accuracy the line guarantees, and whether the reefer slots on your service are guaranteed rather than subject to rolling.
A 20RF takes about 9–10 EUR pallets or about 200 standard cartons (frozen cargo is mostly palletised). Frozen meat, seafood, ice cream, frozen food, chilled fruit and vegetables, dairy, pharmaceuticals and vaccines that must stay in a temperature band ship most reliably in it.
The floor has T-rails for air return, so heavy cargo must sit on pallets or dunnage — never directly over the return channels. Spread heavy items evenly to avoid crushing the rails and insulation.
Palletise frozen cargo and strap the pallets, leave return-air gaps on both sides and a channel between cargo and door. When the box is not full, chock or dunnage-bag the load so pallets cannot slide and block the airflow.
The 20RF suits frozen and chilled food, fresh seafood, meat, ice cream, pharmaceuticals and vaccines, chocolate, flowers and temperature-sensitive chemicals. Small temperature-controlled lots are cheaper in a 20ft reefer than a 40ft.
A reefer only holds temperature — it cannot quickly cool warm cargo, so pre-cool the goods to the set point before stuffing. A broken temperature log or warm loading is the number-one cause of claims. For frozen cargo, close the vents, set the target temperature and pre-cool the box (a PTI check).
A Qingdao frozen squid order to Japan is pre-cooled to −18 °C in a cold store, the 20RF is pre-cooled, and an unbroken temperature log with complete cold-treatment records clears customs normally on arrival.
External dimensions are 6,058 x 2,438 x 2,591 mm, the same envelope as a dry 20ft. Internally it is smaller, about 5,456 x 2,290 x 2,273 mm, because the insulated walls and the cooling unit take up space, and the door opening is 2,290 mm wide by 2,264 mm high.
Nominal volume is 28.4 CBM, against 33.2 CBM for a dry 20ft. Plan on about 26-27 CBM usable, because cargo must not touch the walls, cover the floor channels or reach the ceiling.
A standard 20ft reefer sets anywhere from about -25 C for frozen cargo to +25 C for chilled and ambient cargo, and holds that set point for the whole voyage. Colder-rated units exist, so if you need a deep-frozen programme or a tight tolerance, confirm the capability and the unit brand with the carrier before booking.
Tare weight is about 3,000-3,200 kg, noticeably more than a dry box because of the machinery and insulation. Maximum payload is about 27,400 kg and maximum gross mass 30,480 kg.
Yes. The unit runs on 380 V three-phase, 50 or 60 Hz. It is plugged into the ship's power at sea, into a terminal socket in port, and needs a genset on the road or at a depot without reefer points. Genset and monitoring charges are usually billed separately.
PTI stands for Pre-Trip Inspection: the cooling unit, compressor, sensors and door seals are tested before loading. Ask for the PTI report, because a unit that passes PTI is far less likely to fail mid-voyage.
Pre-cool the cargo before stuffing, leave about 10 cm of clearance below the ceiling and 6-8 cm at the door, keep the T-floor air channels clear, and never block the return-air grille. Reefer cargo is loaded to leave an air path, not to fill every gap.
Yes. A reefer can travel as an insulated box with the unit switched off, sometimes called a dry reefer. You keep the thermal buffer but lose temperature control, and you still pay reefer equipment rates, so it is rarely worth it.
Yes. Expect premium ocean freight plus charges for the temperature setting, the genset, monitoring and sometimes a holding fee. A reefer typically costs 1.5 to 3 times a dry box of the same length.
A controlled temperature programme required by some importing countries for fruit and vegetables, for example the United States and Australia. The carrier runs the programme and calibrates the sensors, and it has to be arranged at booking, not after the cargo is on board.
A modified oxygen and carbon dioxide mix inside the container that slows ripening and extends shelf life. It is used for fruit, vegetables and some flowers on long voyages, and must be requested at booking.
About 9-10 Euro pallets (1,200 x 800 mm) single-stacked, or 8 standard 48 x 40 in pallets, fewer than a dry box because of the thicker walls. Many reefer shipments are floor-loaded instead of palletised to use the volume better.
Frozen meat and seafood, chilled dairy and produce, pharmaceuticals, flowers, chocolate and temperature-sensitive chemicals. The 20ft suits part loads and trial shipments; move to a 40ft reefer once the volume grows because the cost per CBM falls sharply.
22R1: 22 identifies a 20-foot container, R a refrigerated unit and 1 a door opening at one end. It is worth checking the code on the booking when a specific unit brand or temperature capability has been agreed.
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