# Refrigerated container checklist: size, power and operating brief

Prepare a refrigerated-container rental or purchase brief. Check usable space, airflow, power supply, energy evidence and breakdown cover before comparing quotes.

Protect temperature-sensitive stock · Canada guide

Reviewed: 2026-09-30

[Read this guide on ContainerFox Canada](https://containerfox.com/ca/guides/refrigerated-container-checklist)

A refrigerated container needs a defined storage duty and a suitable site. Tell the supplier what you store, its arrival temperature, the required conditions and your loading routine. Then check the actual unit’s space, electrical requirements and support arrangements before comparing rental or purchase quotes.

## Define the load and the temperature task

State the product, packaging, quantity, target temperature range and required monitoring. Include the temperature at which goods arrive, how often doors open and whether stock is loaded gradually or in one large batch. The same nominal setpoint can represent very different operating duties.

A container specified to hold already chilled or frozen stock is not automatically suitable for rapidly chilling or freezing warm goods. Ask the supplier to validate any cooling duty and follow the operating instructions for that unit and product.

For food, identify the federal, provincial or territorial and local requirements that apply to your activities. The Safe Food for Canadians Regulations generally cover food imported or prepared for export or interprovincial trade; some requirements also apply within one province. They do not replace applicable provincial rules, including Quebec’s food-establishment requirements. Have the responsible food-safety specialist define and validate product temperatures, sanitation, monitoring and corrective actions.

For drugs, follow the product’s labelled storage conditions and the applicable Health Canada requirements. Have the responsible quality specialist specify qualification, temperature mapping, calibrated monitoring and the response to excursions; a reefer’s advertised temperature range does not establish suitability for a particular medicine.

- Goods, packaging, typical and maximum stock quantity, and arrival temperature.
- Required operating range and acceptable product-specific limits.
- Door-opening pattern, staff access and daily loading routine.
- Expected ambient conditions, indoor or outdoor location, and rental duration.

## Check the door, loading limit and airflow

Refrigerated containers lose usable space to insulated walls and machinery. A dry-container drawing is not a reliable loading plan. Ask for the quoted model’s internal dimensions, clear door opening, permitted loading height, floor limits and access layout.

For scale, ATS Containers publishes a used 20ft reefer example with an interior of 17ft 10in × 7ft 6in × 7ft 5in (approximately 5.44 × 2.29 × 2.26 metres) and a door height of 7ft 4in (approximately 2.24 metres). These are that supplier’s example dimensions, not a guarantee for every 20ft refrigerated container. Confirm the allocated unit’s door width and the loaded height of your pallet or trolley as well.

Goods and packaging must allow the unit’s designed air circulation. Keep the marked load limits and the supplier’s required clearances clear; physical ceiling height is not necessarily usable loading height. A geometrical pallet fit does not prove adequate airflow, floor capacity or safe handling.

| Measurement or limit | Why it matters | Evidence to request |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Internal floor and door opening | Pallets, trolleys and handling must fit | Dimensioned drawing of the actual model |
| Marked loading height and airflow paths | Air must reach and return around the load | Supplier loading layout and operating instructions |
| Floor and total load limits | Concentrated loads and handling equipment need assessment | Permitted loading and handling specification |
| Machinery and service clearances | Condenser airflow and maintenance access need space | Required clearances for the proposed site |

- [Understand external, internal and door dimensions](https://containerfox.com/ca/guides/shipping-container-dimensions)

## Confirm the electrical supply before delivery

Supply requirements vary by model. For example, ATS’s published used 20ft reefer specifies 460 V, three-phase power and a 30 A circuit. That example is not a wiring design or a specification for every unit. Do not assume that a nearby electrical outlet, a generic extension cord or a stated site capacity will be suitable.

Obtain the allocated unit’s nameplate and electrical documentation. Have the supplier and an electrical contractor qualified for your jurisdiction confirm voltage, phase, frequency, circuit and connector, starting requirements, cable route, protection and isolation. Confirm the required product approval, electrical permits or notifications and inspections with the provincial or territorial authority. In Ontario, ESA publishes recognized certification and field-evaluation marks; a foreign-market label alone should not be assumed acceptable. Agree who completes the connection and commissioning.

- Exact model and electrical connection specification.
- Available site supply and the distance to the proposed container position.
- Responsibility for connection, commissioning and any required site work.
- A practical response to a power failure, including any suitable backup arrangement.

## Ask for energy evidence under comparable conditions

Power in kilowatts (kW) describes the rate of electrical use at a point in time. Energy in kilowatt-hours (kWh) describes consumption over a period. Multiplying a nameplate rating by 24 does not establish typical daily consumption: operation changes with ambient temperature, setpoint, load, door openings and the equipment.

Ask for measured or documented consumption with its test conditions. Once installed, an appropriate meter reading at the start and end of a representative period can show consumption for that period. Record operating conditions alongside it; a quiet empty day is not evidence for a busy fully loaded week.

For a single confirmed energy rate, multiply measured kWh by the price in Canadian dollars per kWh; 15 cents/kWh is C$0.15/kWh. Time-of-use or tiered rates require a calculation matched to the applicable usage periods or tiers. Business bills can also include demand charges based on peak kW, basic charges and taxes. Obtain these separately; a kWh estimate alone cannot calculate a peak-demand charge. Do not treat another site’s daily cost as a quote for your operation.

- [Calculate electricity cost from measured kWh or an explicit assumption](https://containerfox.com/ca/guides/refrigerated-container-electricity-cost)

## Compare quotes with a complete cold-storage duty

Capacity alone can hide a mismatch. An offer with shelving and frequent staff access may solve a different problem from dense pallet storage. Identify the clear route needed for people or handling equipment, the maximum load, and the stock that must remain accessible. Ask the supplier to validate its layout against the unit’s airflow and permitted loading.

For example, a hypothetical brief might ask for chilled packaged ingredients arriving at their specified storage temperature, daily deliveries, several door openings each hour during a shift and a weekend with few visits. A second brief might require reducing the temperature of a large newly delivered batch. Do not use one price or energy observation for both without having the supplier assess the different duty.

Request a written schedule dividing supplier work and site work: transport, unloading, supports, connection, commissioning, controls, monitoring, cleaning, service and pickup. A phrase such as 'ready to use' does not allocate each responsibility. Confirm when rental starts, any minimum term and whether setup days are chargeable.

| Include in the same quote scope | Ask the supplier to confirm |
| --- | --- |
| Storage and loading duty | Product range, entry temperature, access routine and validated usable layout |
| Site and connection | Delivery method, positioning, electrical specification and responsibility for site work |
| Operation and evidence | Handover, controls, temperature records, alarm recipients and energy evidence |
| Service and end of rental | Response commitment, exclusions, cleaning, off-rent notice and pickup cost |

## Agree the handover and breakdown response

Confirm the site position, ground requirements, unloading method and service access with the supplier. Before staff enter, verify a safe means of opening the door from inside and exiting, lighting, communication and emergency arrangements. Assess cold exposure, slips, refrigerant leaks and any atmosphere affected by the load or work. Shipping containers can be confined spaces depending on their configuration and hazards; have a competent person assess the applicable workplace rules before entry. An ordinary cargo door is not evidence of a safe walk-in cold store.

Ask who checks operation, sets the controls and trains staff in loading, cleaning, alarms and emergency release. As one jurisdiction-specific example, British Columbia’s agricultural workplace rules require cold-storage rooms to have a door that can always be opened from inside. Confirm the requirements for your own workplace and proposed use.

A telephone line advertised as available 24/7 does not necessarily promise a particular repair time or compensation for lost stock. Ask for response terms, maintenance responsibilities, alarm routing and the action to take if temperature moves outside the agreed limits. Establish who can move the goods and where they can go.

- [Plan container delivery and access](https://containerfox.com/ca/container-delivery)

## Send the same operating brief to each supplier

Include the product and duty, required capacity, model or minimum clear dimensions, postal code, dates, available power and access constraints. Request itemised rental or purchase, delivery, unloading, pickup where applicable, installation and monitoring or service charges. Confirm the sales tax basis and exclusions.

Keep the number of containers separate from the number of pallets you store. If the supplier proposes a different size or modular cold room, request a revised layout and electrical specification before comparing the offer.

- [Compare refrigerated-container suppliers and options](https://containerfox.com/ca/refrigerated-container-rental)

## Questions before you choose

### Can a refrigerated container run from a normal electrical outlet?

Do not assume so. Reefer specifications can require industrial three-phase power. Check the allocated unit’s nameplate, voltage, phase, frequency and approved connection arrangement with the supplier and a qualified electrical contractor before delivery.

### How much electricity does a refrigerated container use?

There is no reliable universal daily figure. Ask for model-specific evidence showing the setpoint, ambient temperature and operating conditions, then measure a representative period at your site where appropriate.

### Can I fill it right up to the roof?

Follow the marked load line and the manufacturer’s loading instructions. Air circulation and the return-air route can require clearances below the ceiling and around the stock. Nominal cubic capacity is not fully usable storage space.

### Will a standard reefer freeze warm goods quickly?

Do not assume so. Holding stock at a temperature and rapidly bringing warm products down to that temperature are different duties. Have the supplier validate the required cooling or freezing task before ordering.

## Turn the checks into a clear quote request

Compare the equipment, delivery and services for your project. ContainerFox helps prepare your request; a directory listing does not mean that a business is a partner or will receive it.

[Prepare my quote request](https://containerfox.com/ca/request-a-quote?produit=frigorifique&mode=location&source=guide-conteneur&resumeGuide=Guide+brief%3A+Refrigerated+container+checklist%3A+size%2C+power+and+operating+brief.+Please+confirm+my+requirements+and+the+full+delivered+scope.)

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## Continue planning

- [Estimate refrigerated-container electricity costs](https://containerfox.com/ca/guides/refrigerated-container-electricity-cost)
- [Compare rental and purchase commitments](https://containerfox.com/ca/guides/buy-or-rent-shipping-container)
- [Compare the complete scope of quotes](https://containerfox.com/ca/compare-container-quotes)
- [Find refrigerated-container suppliers](https://containerfox.com/ca/suppliers?produit=frigorifique)
- [All container guides](https://containerfox.com/ca/guides)

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