What Coldtainer does

Coldtainer manufactures and sells portable temperature-controlled containers used to transport and store perishable goods in vehicle-based logistics. The product line spans front-loading (F-series) and top-loading (T-series) refrigerated and freezer units, heated hot-food containers (HmL/H-series), and AuO autonomous battery-powered models, covering a temperature range from approximately -30°F to 185°F. Core technology centers on rotational molding, which produces single-piece seamless polyethylene shells with injected polyurethane foam insulation, combined with 12V DC BD-series compressors engineered for vehicle vibration and operation at angles up to 30 degrees. Units are certified to ISO 9001:2015, ATP (FRAX/FRCX, IR insulation class), E11 electromagnetic compatibility, GDP, and HACCP, supporting pharmaceutical, medical, and food-safety use cases.

The company sells primarily through a nationwide US dealer network supported by regional service partners and vehicle upfitters, with direct quote-based enterprise sales for larger accounts. Revenue is driven by one-time hardware sales of containers, accessories (power cords, shelves, tie-down kits, Bluetooth HACCP interfaces), and ATP certification services. Customers span food service and catering, pharmaceutical and medical distribution, logistics and couriers (e.g., World Courier), vending and micro markets, non-profit food-security programs (Meals on the Bus, SECOR Cares), and government health systems (Danish Healthcare System). Documented value propositions include $7,000-$9,000 per-vehicle upfront savings versus refrigerated van conversions, 43% savings versus alternatives per an independent university study, 40% CO2 reduction, and the ability to swap units between vehicles without modification. Coldtainer USA is headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas, was brought to the US by refrigerated transport industry veterans, and operates as a privately held company with no disclosed institutional funding.

Name

Coldtainer

Legal name

Coldtainer

Website

https://coldtainerusa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Coldtainer manufactures portable temperature-controlled containers (refrigerated, frozen, and heated) using rotational molding and 12V DC compressors, selling through a US dealer network to food service, pharmaceutical, logistics, vending, and non-profit customers seeking cheaper, flexible alternatives to refrigerated van conversions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Portable Refrigerated Transport Equipment

NAICS

Air-Conditioning and Warm Air Heating Equipment and Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (333415)

SIC

Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585)

akta.pro primary industry

Cold Chain & Temperature-Controlled Storage Equipment (IMAHAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Temperature-Controlled & Insulated Shippers (Coolers, Gel Packs, PCM Systems) (IMALAFAI), Cold Chain & Temperature-Controlled Packaging (Insulated Shippers, Gel Packs) (IMALAIAG)

Keywords

• Portable refrigerated containers
• Temperature-controlled transport
• Cold chain logistics
• Mobile refrigeration units
• Pharmaceutical cold storage

Headquarters

HQ city

Overland Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Temperature-Controlled Container Sales: Sale of portable refrigerated, heated, and freezer containers in various sizes. Units are sold as complete products with multiple configurations (front-loading, top-loading) and temperature capabilities. Revenue is one-time per unit sale with accessory upsells.
2. Accessories and Parts: Sale of complementary accessories including DC cords, AC/DC power supplies, fixing kits, internal fan kits, protection covers, HACCP Bluetooth interfaces, tie-down kits, shelves, and trolleys. These are add-on sales to primary container purchases.
3. Certification Services: ATP (Agreement on International Carriage of Perishable Foodstuffs) certification issuance through Italian Ministry of Transport. Certificate has 6-year duration and is renewable.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Coldtainer manufactures and sells portable temperature-controlled containers designed for transporting and storing perishable products in vehicles without requiring expensive refrigerated van conversions. The product line includes front-opening, top-loading, and heated containers spanning a temperature range from -30°F to +185°F, manufactured using rotational molding technology producing single-piece polyethylene bodies with polyurethane foam insulation. Units are powered by 12V DC compressors connected to vehicle batteries, with optional autonomous battery models for off-grid operation.

Product overview

Coldtainer offers a comprehensive line of portable temperature-controlled containers for professional transport of perishable products. The product portfolio includes front-opening (F-series: F0140, F0330, F0720, F0760, F0915) and top-loading (T-series: T0022, T0032, T0056, T0082) refrigerated and freezer containers, heated food transport units (HmL line: H140, H330 AuO), and autonomous battery-powered (AuO) models. Temperature ranges span from -30°F to 185°F covering deep frozen, frozen, refrigerated, and hot food applications. Products are manufactured using rotational molding technology creating single-piece polyethylene bodies with polyurethane foam insulation. Key features include electronic thermostat with digital display, Bluetooth connectivity for temperature monitoring via EVlink mobile application, and modular designs allowing easy vehicle switching. The company positions itself as a cost-effective alternative to traditional refrigerated van conversions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AuO Series: Autonomous battery-powered models with built-in battery and charger for completely independent operation without vehicle power connection
• HmL Series
• EVlink App

Products and services

• Coldtainer F0140 Front-opening refrigerated container with 4.95 ft³ capacity and temperature range from -6°F to +86°F, designed for frozen and refrigerated product transport in food service, pharmaceutical, and logistics operations.
• Coldtainer F0330 Front-opening refrigerated container with 11.63 ft³ capacity and temperature range from -22°F to +86°F, designed for perishable product transport with front loading access.
• Coldtainer F0720 Front-opening refrigerated container with 25.40 ft³ capacity, designed for catering, delivery, and logistics operations requiring easy loading and unloading of multiple food trays.
• Coldtainer F0760 Large front-loading refrigerated container with 26.74 ft³ capacity designed primarily for logistics and cargo applications with low energy consumption.
• Coldtainer F0915 Front-opening refrigerated container with 32.35 ft³ capacity and temperature range from -6°F to +86°F, suitable for catering and logistics industries.
• Coldtainer T0032 Small top-loading refrigerated/freezer container with 1.07 ft³ capacity and temperature range from -11°F to +104°F, designed for pharmaceutical or medical transport.
• Coldtainer T0022 Small top-loading refrigerated unit with 0.80 ft³ capacity, designed for pharmaceutical, medical transport, or multi-temperature operations.
• Coldtainer T0082 Small top-loading refrigerated/freezer container with 2.94 ft³ capacity and temperature range from -31°F to +104°F for pharmaceutical or medical transport.
• Coldtainer T0056 Small top-loading refrigerated container with 2.01 ft³ capacity and temperature range from -11°F to +104°F, designed for pharmaceutical or medical transport.
• Coldtainer F0330 AuO Front-opening refrigerated container with autonomous battery power, 11.63 ft³ capacity, and 8-12 hours of operation on a single charge for various temperature requirements.
• Coldtainer F0140 AuO Front-opening refrigeration unit with built-in battery for autonomous operation, 4.95 ft³ capacity, and 8-12 hours of operation, ideal for electric vehicles and insulated reefer van builds.
• Coldtainer F0720 AuO Front-opening refrigerated container with internal battery for autonomous operation, 25.40 ft³ capacity, maintaining temperature for 8-10 hours on a single charge.
• Coldtainer H140 Heated holding container for hot food transport with 4.95 ft³ capacity and temperature range from +149°F to +185°F, designed for catering and food service operations.
• Coldtainer H330 AuO Heated holding container with built-in gel battery for fully autonomous operation (8+ hours), 11.63 ft³ capacity, and temperature range from +149°F to +185°F, designed for off-grid food service operations.
• Road Ready Solutions Pre-installed Coldtainer unit integrated into a cargo van, providing a turnkey temperature-controlled transport solution that eliminates the need for complex installations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40% reduction in CO2 emissions vs standard refrigeration
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Morris & DicksoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 June 2024Strategic partnership with major pharmaceutical wholesaler (175+ years experience) to enhance climate-controlled medication delivery across Southern United States. Morris & Dickson expanded from single trial unit to fleet of 200 Coldtainer containers over two years. Partnership addresses temperature control, waste elimination, and labor cost challenges in pharmaceutical distribution.
• Convoy Servicing - Thermo KingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized seller and servicer of Coldtainer units in the North Texas market. Provides plug-and-play convenience with commercial-grade cooling power for food delivery operations including Executive Refreshments micro market deliveries.
• Basin UpfittingsecondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal commercial vehicle modification shop that builds custom transit vans to accommodate multiple Coldtainer units. Partnered with Treasure Valley Coffee to optimize delivery process for fresh and frozen products.
• Tri State RefrigerationsecondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRegional service partner based in Shreveport, LA providing installation and maintenance support for Morris & Dickson Coldtainer fleet. Exceptional service cited in partnership success.
• Thermo King of the SoutheastsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChannel partner that facilitated The Cake Girl fleet upgrade with Coldtainer refrigeration units for custom cake and cupcake delivery across Florida.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Ziehl-Abegg: Ziehl-Abegg is a specialist in industrial fans, motors, and refrigeration components used in transport refrigeration systems. It is adjacent to Coldtainer as a component/enabling supplier for the broader cold-chain transport equipment ecosystem rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Dometic: Dometic manufactures mobile refrigeration, cooling, and climate-control solutions for trucks, RVs, marine, and outdoor use. It is a direct peer in portable/vehicle-mounted refrigeration and competes in similar end markets such as food delivery, catering, and pharmaceutical transport.
• Sonoco ThermoSafe: Sonoco ThermoSafe is a leading provider of temperature-assured packaging for pharmaceutical and food cold-chain logistics. It is a direct peer in temperature-controlled shipping and transport solutions with significant overlap in pharma distribution and parcel-level cold chain.
• B Medical Systems: B Medical Systems manufactures medical-grade cold chain equipment including vaccine cold boxes and refrigerated transport units. It overlaps with Coldtainer's T-series pharmaceutical units and the World Courier/Danish Healthcare customer profile.
• Cold Chain Technologies: Cold Chain Technologies provides thermal packaging solutions for the pharmaceutical and biotech cold chain. It is a direct peer in active and passive temperature-controlled transport packaging with overlapping customers in pharma distribution and clinical trials.
• Pelican BioThermal: Pelican BioThermal specializes in temperature-controlled packaging for the pharmaceutical and life-sciences cold chain. It overlaps directly with Coldtainer's pharmaceutical segment (vaccines, biologics, clinical trial materials) and competes for similar regulated pharma logistics buyers.
• Webasto: Webasto produces vehicle heating, cooling, and refrigeration systems including transport refrigeration units. It is a direct peer in vehicle-integrated and portable refrigeration solutions serving pharmaceutical and food logistics customers.

Broad incumbents

• Carrier Transicold: Carrier Transicold is a leading manufacturer of transport refrigeration units for trucks, trailers, and containers. It competes broadly with Coldtainer in cold-chain transport equipment and represents a major incumbent alternative to portable active isothermal containers.
• Thermo King (Ingersoll Rand): Thermo King is the dominant refrigerated transport equipment manufacturer globally, producing truck, trailer, and container refrigeration units. It overlaps with Coldtainer in temperature-controlled transport solutions and already serves as a service partner/channel for Coldtainer units, reflecting direct product adjacency.

Emerging players

• va-Q-tec: va-Q-tec develops high-performance thermal containers and phase-change materials for pharmaceutical and logistics cold chain. It is a direct peer in temperature-controlled shipping containers with overlap in pharma and parcel-level use cases.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/coldtainer
• Facebookfacebook.com/ColdtainerUSA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coldtainerusa

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Coldtainer