Refrigerated and insulated containers are mainly available as 20' and 40' containers. A distinction may be drawn between two different systems:
 

This type of refrigerated container has an integral refrigeration unit for controlling the temperature inside the container. When being transported by ship, integral units have to be connected to the on-board power supply system. For transport by road and rail, most integral unit refrigeration units are operated by a generator set (genset). This may either be a component of the refrigeration unit or connected to the refrigeration unit. Refrigerated containers are used for goods which need to be transported at a constant temperature above or below freezing point. These goods are divided into chilled goods and frozen goods, depending on the specified transport temperature. They principally include fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy products, such as butter and cheese. High-cube integral units are used in particular for voluminous and light goods (e.g. fruit, flowers). Nowadays, goods requiring refrigeration are mostly transported in integral units, which have a markedly higher market share than porthole containers.



 
 

This type of container is often referred to not as a refrigerated container but as an insulated container, as it has no integral refrigeration unit. On board, the inside of the container is supplied with cold air via the ship's central cooling plant. The air flows through the container in the same way as in integral units. Cold air is blown in at the bottom and the "warm" air is removed at the top.



* Container can slightly differ in dimentions, weights and capacity from mentioned above owing to it's manufacturer