40ft High Cube reefer, new one-trip

At £20,000 to £28,000 ex VAT — add 20% VAT on top — the 40ft High Cube one-trip is the largest and dearest reefer in the catalogue. “One-trip” means built at the factory, loaded once for its delivery voyage, and landed in Britain effectively as new. You pay for pristine bodywork, a current-generation unit and a full service life ahead — the question is never whether it is good, but whether you need this much of it.

The most cold volume in a single drop

A 40ft High Cube gives you around 67 m³ and 23 pallet spaces — more than double a 20ft — inside an exterior of 12.19 by 2.44 by 2.90 metres. The High Cube part is the roof: at 2.90m outside it leaves roughly 2.55m of clear interior height, against a standard 40ft’s lower ceiling. That headroom sells it — tall stillages, hanging rails, or a second tier of pallets. Usable inside runs about 11.58 by 2.29 by 2.55 metres: a reefer’s insulation takes its thickness off every wall, ceiling and floor, so the interior is tighter than a dry box of the same size. The unit holds the standard -25°C to +25°C range, so one box covers chilled and frozen work alike.

Who a one-trip 40ft HC is for

This is the reefer you buy when the box will be seen and kept. Central kitchens, food producers, pharmaceutical stores and event caterers at scale all want maximum cold volume in one unit rather than two — fewer deliveries, one power feed, one footprint. The pristine finish matters wherever customers or auditors reach the container, and it takes livery cleanly. The fridge unit will be current-generation — Carrier, Thermo King, Daikin or Star Cool — with its whole service life ahead; whether it carries a warranty is between you and the supplier, so confirm before you pay. Owning only makes sense once the unit will run beyond 18 to 24 months of continuous use — below that, hiring usually wins.

When it is the wrong box

Three things argue against it. Volume you will not fill: if 28 m³ covers the job, a 20ft is cheaper to buy, cheaper to run and far easier to deliver — the 40ft’s 12.19m needs a crane truck and real access to swing into place. Appearance you do not need: where only staff see the container, a Grade A 40ft HC gives the identical cold for a quarter to a half of the price — our used buying guide shows how to check one. Cooling you will not use: if the box only has to stay cool passively, an insulated non-operational unit costs a fraction of a running reefer. Compare formats and grades on the prices page first.

Specifications

What "New" means

A container that has made only one sea voyage before being put up for sale. Recent refrigeration unit, very few running hours, intact body.

A standard reefer covers both modes: it's a setpoint to adjust, not a different product. It also heats, up to +25°C (frost-free storage).

What drives the price

• The refrigeration unit's running hours — the top factor on the used market, body condition being equal.
• The make of the unit — parts availability matters more than the name itself.
• The condition of the body — corrosion, door seals, flooring marked by forklifts.
• The region and site access — delivery by crane lorry costs £700 to £1,700.

EuroReefer does not sell containers. We hold no stock and run no depot: the ranges above are ballpark figures observed on the European market, not an offer of sale. We pass your enquiry on to specialist suppliers, who contact you directly if they can meet it.

Similar references

• 20ft One-Trip Reefer (New)

  £15,000 – £25,000 ex VAT

• 40ft High Cube Reefer — Used, Grade A

  £7,500 – £10,000 ex VAT

• 40ft High-Cube Reefer, Used Grade B

  £5,000 – £7,500 ex VAT

• 40ft High-Cube Reefer Freezer — Grade A

  £7,500 – £10,000 ex VAT