About Reefer Semitrailers
The reefer, or refrigerated semitrailer, is a box trailer with an attached mechanical refrigeration unit that regulates its internal temperature. Reefers revolutionized the meat and dairy industries and continue to be the primary way to transport perishable food. Modern reefer trailers are built with lightweight materials to let companies increase payload weight. Many feature multi-temperature control and internal multi-temp partition systems, so a single reefer can have multiple temperature zones and can therefore transport multiple types of cargo.

Utility R3000 Reefer Semitrailer
Size & Features
Many reefer trailers measure 53 feet (16 meters) in length, although shorter models are available, including 45- and 48-ft (13.7- and 14.6-m) units. Many are equipped with lift gates to facilitate easy loading and unloading in the absence of a loading dock. Another popular feature on modern reefers is a warning system that can notify drivers of significant changes to temperature. In some cases, the warning system might even monitor the reefer truck for any problems that could cause a problem down the road, so the driver can take care of the issue before any damage to cargo occurs.
Recent advances in refrigeration unit technology include the use of electric standby, which can pre-cool a trailer or maintain internal load temps during stops without the need to run the truck’s engine, delivering considerable fuel savings. Thermo King, a leading refrigeration unit manufacturer, has also begun including an option to mount 30-watt, 12-volt solar panels on its refrigeration units or on the trailer that keep units’ batteries charged so they’re ready to kick in when needed. More environmentally friendly refrigerants and zero-emission refrigeration units are in the works, as well, as freight operations continually look for additional ways to reduce their carbon footprints and fuel bills.
Find The Right Reefer Semitrailer
You’ll find a huge selection of new and used reefer trailers for sale on TruckPaper.com, including many from CIMC, Great Dane, Hyundai, Kidron, Trailmobile, Utility Trailer, Vanguard, Wabash, and other leading brands.