Used
Used 40 feet reefer container (high cube)
12.19 × 2.44 × 2.90 m outside · 67.5 m³ inside · about 4,505 kg empty
Most 40 ft reefers are high cubes (45R1, listed as 40 HC or 40 HQ), and this is one: a refrigerated container 2,896 mm tall outside, with insulated walls and a refrigeration unit in its front end. Inside it gives 11,589 × 2,290 × 2,450 mm (67.5 m³) and holds any set point down to −25, −30 or −40 °C and up to +25 or +30 °C, depending on its unit. Plan a three-phase connection, or a generator set, where it will stand; partner sellers who cover your PIN code quote the box delivered.
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Asking prices differ widely: for a used 20 feet shipping container, half of the 116 sellers we read on 20 October 2026 ask between ₹1,04,000 and ₹1,40,000, ₹36,000 apart. Several quotes show you where the low end is.
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40 ft high cube reefer: what it is used for
The 40 ft high cube reefer is the cold store for volume: a packhouse at harvest time, a fish or meat trader, an ice cream or dairy distributor, a pharmacy wholesaler. Its floor takes 23 Euro pallets in one layer, or 20 pallets of 1,200 × 1,000 mm, and its height lets cartons stack higher than in a standard-height reefer. Shipping lines carry much of their chilled and frozen cargo in this size, and their older boxes come onto the market: 8 sellers listed one on 20 October 2026, against 4 on IndiaMART for a 20 ft reefer.
- For volume, this box: 67.5 m³, against 28.2 m³ in a 20 ft reefer.
- For a small store, or a site a 40 ft trailer cannot reach, the used 20 ft reefer, from ₹6,50,000.
- For a season, a reefer on rent.
- For dry goods, the used 40 ft high cube, from ₹1,58,000, has the same height without a unit to power.
- For a box with a new unit, the new 40 ft high cube reefer is listed far higher, by very few sellers: ₹23,00,000 (1 seller).
On IndiaMART, the 8 sellers asked ₹5,00,000 to ₹8,50,000, and half of them ₹6,00,000 or less (20 October 2026). The price counts every used 40 ft reefer listed, and most listings do not say whether the box is a high cube: ask for the size-type code next to the container number, 45R1 for a 40 ft high cube reefer and 42R1 for a standard-height one.
Used 40 ft reefer for sale: what to ask about the unit
The steel box and its insulation last for many years; the refrigeration unit is the part that wears, and the part you pay for. Ask each seller for:
- the unit’s make and model (Carrier, Daikin, Star Cool and Thermo King build most container units), its year and its refrigerant;
- the running hours shown on the controller, and whether the compressor has been replaced;
- the latest PTI (pre-trip inspection) report, with its date;
- for medicines, or food for a client who asks for one, whether the temperature log can be read and downloaded; check what your licence asks for;
- whether the unit carries a warranty, and who services that make near you.
Then have the unit run until the box reaches your set point, on a visit or a video call, and look for frost or damp on the outer walls and round the door seals while it runs. Compare the quotes on the same basis: a unit tested at your temperature, delivered and unloaded. The plates, the floor and the papers are checked as on any reefer: see checks before you buy a second hand reefer container.
40 ft refrigerated container dimensions and weight
| Measure | Size |
|---|---|
| ISO size-type code | 45R1 |
| External size (L × W × H) | 12,192 × 2,438 × 2,896 mm40′ × 8′ × 9′ 6″ |
| Internal size (L × W × H) | 11,589 × 2,290 × 2,450 mm38′ ½″ × 7′ 6″ × 8′ ½″ |
| Door opening (W × H) | 2,290 × 2,557 mm7′ 6″ × 8′ 4½″ |
| Floor area inside | 26.5 m²286 sq ft |
| Inside volume | 67.5 m³2,384 cu ft |
| Tare weight (empty), range 4,330–4,760 kg | 4,505 kg |
| Payload (typical) | 29,610 kg |
| Maximum gross weight | 34,000 or 35,000 kg, depending on the box |
| Temperature range | −25 to +25 °C or −30 to +30 °C or −40 to +30 °C |
Typical values (median of 8 data sheets published by CMA CGM, Evergreen, Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk, MSC, ONE and ZIM, 20 October 2026); feet and inches rounded to the nearest half inch. The markings on the doors give the tare and maximum gross weight of each box, the maximum gross also being on its CSC plate: a box rated higher carries more, its maximum gross weight minus its tare. On the shipping lines' reefer data sheets the inside height is lower than the door opening, and the volume a little more than length × width × height: these are their figures, as published. How a reefer works, its temperatures and its power: reefer container.
Power and placing a 40 ft reefer
Empty, it weighs about 4,505 kg (4,330 to 4,760 kg on the data sheets) and stands 2,896 mm (9′ 6″) tall, plus the trailer deck: look along the route for cables and low gates. It needs a level spot more than 12 m long, with the unit end towards the power point and air free to move in front of the unit; a roof over the box keeps the sun off and the power bill down.
The unit usually takes 380–460 V three-phase: ask the seller for its voltage, its power use in kW at your temperature and its plug, have an electrician check the supply, and where the grid fails, ask for a generator set in the same quote. Say in your request how the box will come off the trailer, so that the delivered price includes the unloading; for a box from another city, the delivered price estimate gives an order of magnitude. GST is 18% under HSN 8609: see GST on shipping containers.
Questions about the 40 ft reefer container
What are the dimensions of a 40 ft reefer container?
For a 40 ft high cube reefer, 11,589 × 2,290 × 2,450 mm inside (38′ ½″ × 7′ 6″ × 8′ ½″), or 67.5 m³ by the shipping lines’ figures, and 12,192 × 2,438 × 2,896 mm outside, on the 8 data sheets we read. The door opening is 2,290 × 2,557 mm. A standard-height 40 ft reefer is 305 mm lower outside.
How heavy is a 40 ft reefer container?
About 4,505 kg empty (4,330 to 4,760 kg), against 3,865 kg for a dry 40 ft high cube: the unit and the insulation add about 640 kg. It can typically carry 29,610 kg of cargo; the CSC plate and the door markings give the exact figures of each box.
Which reefer sizes are sold in India?
This survey prices two sizes: the 40 ft high cube (ISO code 45R1) and the 20 ft box (22R1). A standard-height 40 ft reefer (42R1) exists too. The 20 ft reefer suits smaller stores; the reefer container guide describes the other types, such as controlled-atmosphere and super-freezer reefers.
What is the price of a used 40 ft reefer container in India?
From ₹5,50,000 in our survey of 20 October 2026: at least half of the 8 sellers on IndiaMART ask this or less for their cheapest one, and their prices run from ₹5,00,000 to ₹8,50,000. Delivery, unloading and GST (18%) come on top.
Can a used 40 ft reefer still hold frozen fish or meat?
If its unit is sound: the data sheets give set points down to −25, −30 or −40 °C and up to +25 or +30 °C, depending on the unit, but an older unit may no longer hold the coldest set points. Ask the seller to run it at your temperature for a few hours before you pay.