Comprehensive, Safe & Cost-Effective Reefer Container Transportation Services

Refrigerated container transport is a logistics service using specialized containers (reefers) with built-in refrigeration to maintain stable temperatures from -30°C to +30°C throughout the journey. Ratraco Solutions provides refrigerated container transport by rail, road, and multimodal services, particularly on the Đông Anh/Yên Viên Station ⇄ Sóng Thần/Trảng Bom Station route using self-powered 40RF and 45RF containers, with transit times of 65–72 hours and cost savings of 25–30% compared with road transport.

A 24/7 IoT monitoring system tracks temperature, location, and fuel levels in real time through an app. The service is suitable for seafood, agricultural produce (dragon fruit, durian, coconut), frozen meat, milk & ice cream, pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and cosmetics.

Ratraco Solutions’ Refrigerated Container Transport Solutions

Ratraco Solutions offers more than a single service: we provide a flexible cold chain logistics network designed to deliver the best refrigerated container transport rates for every customer’s specific needs.

1. Refrigerated Container Transport by Rail: Optimized Costs & Safety

Rail transport is the backbone of our cold chain logistics solutions and is especially effective for the North–South refrigerated container route. This solution provides exceptional safety and helps businesses significantly optimize frozen freight transport costs throughout their operations.

Breakthrough Technology: Self-Powered Refrigerated Containers

The key difference at Ratraco Solutions is that we exclusively use self-powered refrigerated containers running on diesel.

• Fully independent: Each container is equipped with a modern Vector 1550 refrigeration unit, a generator, and a large fuel tank of up to 800L, enabling continuous independent operation for 16–20 days without any external power source.
• Eliminating risks: This completely eliminates the risk of temperature interruptions when transferring between tractor units and rail wagons, a common issue with conventional plug-in refrigerated containers.

Special Solution: Dual-Compartment Refrigerated Containers

For businesses transporting a variety of products, Ratraco Solutions offers a distinctive dual-compartment refrigerated container solution:

• Two independent temperature zones: Transport different cargo types requiring different storage temperatures in the same container. For example, compartment 1 can carry frozen meat at -18°C while compartment 2 carries vegetables at +5°C.
• Movable, flexible partitions: The partitions use highly effective PU insulation and can be flexibly installed or removed to allocate space according to the shipment’s actual needs.
• Optimized costs: Instead of paying to rent two separate refrigerated containers, businesses need only one, significantly reducing overall costs.

Outstanding Cost and Safety Benefits:

• Highly Competitive Rates: The key to our North–South refrigerated container freight rates is our strength in rail transport. This solution helps businesses save 25–30% compared with road transport.
• Maximum Safety & Stability: Travel on rails minimizes vibration and impacts, protecting high-value goods.
• Smart 24/7 Monitoring: Customers receive access to an online monitoring system that precisely tracks location, temperature, fuel levels, and refrigeration unit status anytime, anywhere through a mobile app.

Refrigerated Container Transport by Rail

2. Refrigerated Container Transport by Road: A Flexible Connection

To create an end-to-end service with optimized refrigerated container freight rates , road transport plays an essential role, providing maximum flexibility for door-to-door pickup and delivery. Our process ensures seamless movement from warehouse to station and from station to the recipient’s warehouse.

3. Multimodal Refrigerated Transport: Greater Reach at Reasonable Costs

Ratraco Solutions has the capacity to combine transport modes to move your goods internationally, particularly to China through rail border crossings. With experience in import/export services and customs declarations, we ensure prompt clearance, saving businesses time and unnecessary additional costs.

Why Do Major Businesses Trust Ratraco Solutions for Refrigerated Container Transport?

Ratraco Solutions’ reputation is affirmed by the trust of major domestic and international partners such as Vinamilk, C.P. Group, Zott, Andros Asia, CJ Foods, DKSH, ACE Foods and many other brands.

• Pioneering Technology: We lead the adoption of self-powered and dual-compartment refrigerated container technology, providing a distinctive competitive advantage.
• Competitive & Transparent Costs: With our strengths in rail transport, Ratraco Solutions confidently offers a refrigerated container rate schedule that is 25–30% more competitive than road transport. All quotations are detailed and clear, with no hidden costs.
• Nationwide Network: Our stations and transport centers span Northern to Southern Vietnam in Hanoi, Bắc Giang, Nghệ An, Đà Nẵng, Bình Định, Bình Dương, and Đồng Nai, ensuring flexible cargo connections and coordination.
• Complete Transparency & Safety: 24/7 monitoring technology gives customers complete peace of mind about the condition of their shipments throughout the journey.
• Experience and Dedication: With over 20 years of experience, our team is always ready to advise and provide the most suitable refrigerated container quotation for your needs.

Case Studies & Real Projects

Hands-on experience provides the clearest evidence of Ratraco Solutions’ capabilities.

1. Serving Domestic & International Markets

➡️ Retail chain projects: Refrigerated transport for major supermarket chains.

• Ratraco Solutions Provides Refrigerated Transport for Supermarkets in Ho Chi Minh City

➡️ Agricultural export projects: End-to-end solutions for coconut & durian shipments to China.

• Comprehensive Durian Export Services to China Through Official Trade Channels
• Affordable Durian Transport from the Mekong Delta to China
• Durian Transport from Đắk Lắk, Gia Lai, and Lâm Đồng to China
• Lowest Rates for Coconut Transport to China in Refrigerated Containers

2. Handling Specialized Cargo & Demanding Requirements

➡️ For the most sensitive goods: Frozen seafood transport procedures.

• 2025 Seafood Transport Rates for Refrigerated Containers

➡️ For high-value goods: Transport solutions for pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and health supplements.

• Refrigerated Container Transport for Cosmetics, Pharmaceuticals, and Health Supplements

3. Core Technology & Infrastructure Capabilities

➡️ Receiving and operating a fleet of modern self-powered refrigerated containers.

• News, July 10, 2024: Ratraco Solutions Receives Self-Powered Refrigerated Rail Containers at Trảng Bom Station

➡️ Receiving and operating self-powered dual-compartment refrigerated containers.

• Ceremony to Receive 10 Self-Powered Dual-Compartment Refrigerated Containers at Trảng Bom Station, June 26, 2025

What Types of Goods Do We Transport?

With a broad temperature range from -30°C to +30°C, we meet the strict preservation requirements of a wide variety of products:

• ✅Seafood transport: We ensure ideal deep-freeze temperatures of -25°C to -18°C for fish, shrimp, squid, and similar products.
• ✅Agricultural produce and fruit transport: Preserve the freshness of dragon fruit, durian, vegetables, and other produce at chilled temperatures of +2°C to +12°C. Our professional procedures ensure freshness and quality.
• ✅Food and frozen meat transport: Maintain an uninterrupted cold chain for pork, beef, chicken, prepared foods, and other products at a standard temperature of -18°C.
• ✅Ice cream, milk & dairy product transport: From ice cream requiring deep freezing at -30°C to dairy cream desserts and cheese requiring chilled storage, we meet every need.
• ✅Pharmaceutical, vaccine, and cosmetics transport: Ensure a strictly controlled temperature environment for high-value medical products, cosmetics, and personal care chemicals.

When Should You Avoid Using a Refrigerated Container?

Refrigerated containers are suitable for most goods requiring temperature control from -30°C to +30°C. However, alternatives should be considered in some cases to optimize costs and safety:

The remaining categories — seafood, agricultural produce, frozen meat, milk, pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and cosmetics — are all regularly transported by Ratraco Solutions using multimodal refrigerated container services.

Media Coverage of Our Refrigerated Container Transport Services

• Surprising Results from Selling Vietnamese Goods to China by Rail | Ho Chi Minh City Law Newspaper
• The First Train of 2024 Carries Agricultural Produce from Sóng Thần Station to China — Tuổi Trẻ Online
• Container Train from Vietnam to Belgium: Opening Cooperation Opportunities to Increase the Benefits of Rail Logistics — VOV Traffic
• The First Lục Ngạn Lychee Shipment Exported Through Đồng Đăng Railway Station — Customs Online
• Opening a Route for Agricultural Exports to China by Refrigerated Container Train — People’s Public Security Newspaper
• Tiền Giang Exports Its First Coconut Shipment to China | VTV
• Continued Fresh Coconut Exports to China | VTV
• An International Intermodal Train Carries Nearly 70 Tonnes of Fresh Mekong Delta Coconuts to China — Tuổi Trẻ Online
• The First Train Departs Carrying Fresh Coconut Exports to China
• The First Fresh Coconut Export Train from Sóng Thần Station to China — Society — ZNEWS

Useful Logistics Knowledge

To help you better understand your options when you need to rent a refrigerated container, we have compiled in-depth articles and resources:

• What Is a Refrigerated Container? Detailed Structure and Operating Principles.
• Self-Powered vs. Plug-In Refrigerated Containers: Which Should You Choose?
• [PDF] Ratraco Dual-Compartment Refrigerated Container Technical Documentation
• [PDF] Ratraco Self-Powered Refrigerated Container Technical Documentation

Get a Detailed & Prompt Refrigerated Container Transport Quotation

Do not let concerns about cold chain interruptions affect your business. Contact us today for a detailed refrigerated container transport quotation tailored to your needs and budget!

Frequently Asked Questions About Refrigerated Container Transport

1. What is a self-powered refrigerated container, and what are its benefits?

A self-powered refrigerated container is a specialized reefer equipped with a Vector 1550 refrigeration unit, a generator, and a large fuel tank of up to 800L, enabling continuous operation for 16 to 20 days without an external power source. Its key benefit is the complete elimination of temperature interruptions during transfers between tractor units and rail wagons, a common issue with conventional plug-in reefers, maintaining precise temperatures 24/7 throughout the 65–72-hour North–South journey.

2. How much does refrigerated container transport from Đông Anh Station to Trảng Bom Station cost?

According to Ratraco Solutions’ September 2026 rate schedule , refrigerated container transport on the Đông Anh/Yên Viên Station ⇄ Sóng Thần/Trảng Bom Station route costs approximately VND 29,520,000 for a 40RF container, excluding 8% VAT, station lifting and lowering fees, door-to-door pickup/delivery surcharges, and surcharges for 45-foot containers or special cargo. Rail rates typically offer 25–30% savings compared with road transport thanks to reduced reliance on fuel and BOT road and bridge tolls.

3. How long does station-to-station refrigerated container transport take?

Station-to-station transit on the North–South route, Đông Anh/Yên Viên Station ⇄ Sóng Thần/Trảng Bom Station, takes approximately 65 hours on fixed train schedules. Compared with road transport, which is prone to delays from congestion on National Highway 1A, mountain passes, storms, and landslides, rail runs on time and is unaffected by bad weather, allowing businesses to plan deliveries proactively.

4. What types of cargo can a dual-compartment refrigerated container carry?

Dual-compartment refrigerated containers suit combined shipments with different storage temperature requirements. For example: compartment 1 carries frozen meat at -18°C, while compartment 2 carries vegetables and fruit at +2°C to +12°C. PU insulated partitions can be flexibly installed and removed to allocate space to each shipment’s actual needs, saving businesses money compared with renting two separate refrigerated containers.

5. Which surcharges are excluded from station-to-station rates?

Ratraco Solutions’ station-to-station rates exclude: (1) 8% VAT, (2) station lifting and lowering fees, (3) door-to-door pickup and delivery surcharges, (4) additional charges for 45-foot containers, and (5) surcharges for special cargo requiring strict preservation conditions. Businesses should request a detailed all-inclusive quotation before signing the contract to avoid unexpected costs.

6. Do refrigerated containers on rail require power from the wagon?

No. Ratraco Solutions’ self-powered refrigerated containers run on their own diesel engines with large 800L fuel tanks, completely independent of the wagon’s electrical system. This is the key difference from conventional plug-in reefers, which rely on external power and can experience temperature interruptions during transfers between stations, tractor units, and rail wagons.

7. Can container temperature and location be tracked in real time?

Yes. Customers receive access to Ratraco Solutions’ 24/7 online monitoring system , which precisely tracks GPS location, temperature, fuel levels, and refrigeration unit status anytime, anywhere through a mobile app. IoT sensors continuously update data, enabling early detection of abnormalities and timely intervention.

8. How does a refrigerated container differ from a standard container?

A refrigerated container (reefer) differs from a standard dry container in three key ways: (1) Thick PU insulation and built-in refrigeration maintain temperatures from -30°C to +30°C, features that standard containers lack; (2) T-bar flooring allows cold air to circulate evenly throughout the cargo; (3) Temperature sensors and IoT monitoring devices enable real-time tracking, which standard containers do not provide.