So you want a container. You know it needs to be insulated, but what exactly will fit your needs? Containers come in two styles—standard shipping container and refrigerator (reefer) containers. Here are some general rules of thumb that might be helpful.

1. Refrigerator containers are ideal when you need to store items at a particular temperature year-round and you have a power source to run the container. They are considerably more expensive than standard containers, which may play a role in your decision-making.

2. If you are storing general items, the standard containers are great. Standard containers are used around the world, year round for transporting the vast majority goods manufactured year round. They are not insulated or air conditioned as they come over.

3. If you are modifying the container, standard containers are much preferred to refrigerator containers. Refrigerator containers have loose insulation between two walls, which makes modifications a huge headache. Also, if you are using the container for living space, you will be very disappointed with a refrigerator container floor. They are grooved to drain any liquid away from items being stored. While that is great if the container isn’t plugged in and you are storing ice cream, it is not as great if you want to live in the container.

   One other consideration for those who are modifying containers—if you plan on adding electricity or plumbing, you will want to insulate the container once you have added those and done all your modifications.

4. You are shipping the container overseas. We can help you with a standard container getting ready for export. We have them in both cargo-worthy condition and one-trip condition which work well for that as well as surveying services to help with your shipping needs. However, our refrigerated containers are no longer suitable for shipping overseas.

One additional note about our refrigerated containers. We get them in both working and non-working conditions to fit your needs. Our refrigerated containers are 40' long and either standard (8'6" high) or high cube (9'6" high) height depending on availability. While 20' refrigerated containers are made and used, we rarely have access to them.

If you still have questions about which is the right one for you, please call us and we can discuss your needs further.