Refrigerated Cargo
Learn about our solutions for your temperature-sensitive cargo. Whether its ocean freight or drayage, we got you covered.
Your Refrigerated Cargo is in Safe Hands
Our experienced team understands the importance of keeping your cargo frozen or fresh. From seafood, meats, to flowers, we specialize in refrigerated container shipping (known as reefers), providing reliable and secure transportation of your goods in a temperature-controlled environment. Our service is ideal for transporting frozen or fresh products like meat and seafood without compromising quality. With our focus on timely delivery, you can trust us to get your cargo to its destination on time every time.
How Does Reefer Transportation Work?
Refrigerated containers, known as reefer containers in logistics lingo, are temperature controlled shipping containers with a refrigeration unit that are used to keep perishable goods frozen or fresh. Many products that we find on the shelves at our local stores arrived in reefer containers, such as meat from Australia, fish from Asia, and pharmaceuticals from Europe.
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Once loaded onto the vessel, reefer containers are connected to ship's power supply in order to stay in working condition. At the port of destination, reefer containers are unloaded from the vessel and disconnected from the ship's power supply and parked at the terminal. Here, they are once again connected to the terminal's power supply until we pick it up.
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Now in our possession, the reefer container will run on the fuel from its generator set (known as gensets).
Genset: When reefer units are transported on land, where they don’t have access to power like in the ports or on the vessel, they rely on a genset for power. What is a genset on a reefer container? Much like “reefer” is a shortened form of “refrigerated container,” “genset” means “generator set.” It provides the necessary power for a reefer to operate efficiently.
Two types of gensets on reefers include clip-on gensets — which are attached to the front or side of the container — and underslung gensets, which go underneath the frame. We have our own gensets to transport your containers from port to your door.
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Undermount gensets are, as their name suggests, installed underneath a truck container chassis. They’re also sometimes called underslung gensets. Undermount gensets are air-cooled and primarily powered by diesel fuel.
Undermount gensets can provide continuous power to reefer container refrigeration units, ensuring that any cargo in the containers stays cooled during the transit process.
What Are the Features of Undermount Gensets?
Undermount gensets are characterized by a few key features, including:
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They are mounted underneath trailers
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They are usually diesel powered
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They are often used for trucking containers as opposed to other shipping containers
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Clip-on gensets are usually installed directly on reefer containers, typically mounted toward the back and next to the refrigeration unit. These have titular clip-on mechanisms that allow users to install them easily.
Clip-on gensets are usually ideal if several reefer containers are transported by multiple transportation methods, like sea, road, and rail vehicles. Note that clip-on generators are also ideal when reefer containers can’t be plugged into warehouse or facility power grids for one reason or another.
What Are the Features of Clip-On Gensets?
Clip-on gensets are characterized by features like:
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They are installed directly onto refers
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They are the most commonly used gensets
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They feature easy-to-use, clip-on mechanisms
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Reefer Technology
Reefer containers are designed to maintain the temperature, humidity, and atmosphere at a constant value during your product's transit time to its destination. There are 4 key conditions that you must consider when shipping perishable cargo:
Temperature: Standard reefer containers maintain temperatures between +25° C and -25° C for chilled or frozen cargo. Some reefer containers can maintain a constant temperature of -35° C or even lower.
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Ventilation: Air must flow through the cargo at all times to remove heat and gases. The packaging for your cargo must have some sort of ventilation to allow the chilled air to flow through, especially if you're shipping fruits and vegetables. Frozen goods do not need ventilation for their packaging, and instead, air must flow around the cargo and should be stowed in blocks tightly to avoid gaps.
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Humidity: Some products need a lower level of humidity in the air, such as onions, in order to keep the product safe. A dehumidification setup maintains the correct levels of moisture in a reefer. Keep in mind that different cargo needs different humidity levels. Although some newer units can reach 50%, the standard is between 60% and 85% relative humidity (RH).
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Drainage: These are used to release excess water that may accumulate inside the containers. In addition, their design prevents water or insects to get into the container.
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A refrigeration unit is built to maintain a certain temperature, not to bring the load to the desired temperature. The cargo has to be precooled to the set point temperature prior to loading. Especially for fresh fruits and veggies, reducing the temperature after harvest to the optimal transport temperature is crucial to guarantee good quality and ensure the best possible shelf life.
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Reefer container components include:
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Interior fans: Interior fans located inside the reefer help circulate air to promote adequate temperature control and stability.
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Control unit: The control unit allows you to set and adjust the internal atmosphere of your reefer, including the temperature, alarm conditions, and in some cases ventilation and humidity levels.
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Fresh air vent: The fresh air vent allows air to enter from outside and any gases from in the container, such as fruit-ripening ethylene gas, to leave.
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Unit evaporator: Excess moisture in a reefer can damage products, quicken food spoilage and break down packaging, leaving contents vulnerable. The unit evaporator helps maintain the moisture inside the container. The reefer unit evaporator can either heat or cool the air that circulates past it from the fan. Sometimes, the reefer will need to warm the air to keep the interior temperature consistent, which is either done using hot gas heat or electrical heating elements. Reefers can maintain temperatures up to 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). Whether it heats or cools the air depends on the desired internal temperature.
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Condenser: Condensers may have air or water cooling, though typically, the industry is using air-cooled condensers. Air-cooled models pull cooled air from the top of the container and discharge it under the cargo, pushing the air to the back doors before it convects naturally and rises, flowing back over the cargo to the return air inlet on the reefer unit. Because air moves under the cargo, proper loading and covering as much of the floor as possible is critical to prevent a “chimney” effect and short-cycling.
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Voltage transformers: Dual voltage transformers are also an option with some containers, allowing operation on voltages down to 200V 3ph.
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Other Topics
Meats
Importing lamb from New Zealand, or Wagyu beef from Japan?
Fish and Seafood
Importing salmon from Chile, or tilapia from Vietnam?
Wine
From Argentine Malbec, to European wine, we got you covered.
Need Help with your Imports or Exports?
Since 2009 we have been providing container shipping solutions for dry and refrigerated cargo to importers and exporters in Los Angeles, the United States, and around the world.
