Transport refrigeration units: Carrier Transicold, Thermo King and container units compared
Transport refrigeration units (TRUs) cool truck bodies, trailers and reefer containers. Choose them on body size, temperature setpoints, door openings, route climate, power source (diesel, hybrid or electric) and service coverage along your routes. Carrier Transicold and Thermo King both supply truck, trailer and container units. This page compares them by category, not by ranking. Cold-store and warehouse plant is a separate buyer journey.
Manufacturers by category
Carrier Transicold
- Product scope
- Truck and trailer units (including hybrid and electric options) and container units, including NaturaLINE, which uses CO₂ (R-744).
- Typical project fit
- Fleets and container owners wanting a natural-refrigerant container option or a mixed diesel/electric fleet.
- Ask in your RFQ
- Electric or standby power option, refrigerant, telematics platform, dealer coverage on your routes.
Thermo King
- Product scope
- Truck, trailer, van and container units, including electric and hybrid models and telematics.
- Typical project fit
- Fleets standardising on one service network across trucks and trailers.
- Ask in your RFQ
- Electric/battery options for your duty cycle, refrigerant, telematics and service-network density.
Daikin, Star Cool and other container makers
- Product scope
- Reefer container refrigeration machinery.
- Typical project fit
- Container fleet owners and shipping-line specifications.
- Ask in your RFQ
- Controlled-atmosphere option, power draw and global service ports.
ColdMatch Group is not affiliated with, endorsed by or a distributor for any manufacturer named here. Names and product categories come from each company's public information and are given for fair, category-level comparison only. Product line-ups change, so confirm current models with the manufacturer or its local partner. ColdMatch does not put buyers in direct contact with manufacturers: you send one project request, our team reviews and structures it, then contacts suitable suppliers for you and presents organised responses. Buyer service is free; minimum B2B project size is USD 250,000.
Project checklist before you request quotes
- Equipment type: van, rigid truck, semi-trailer, multi-temperature body or 20/40 ft reefer container.
- Setpoints: chilled, frozen or multi-temperature compartments, plus pull-down time requirement.
- Duty cycle: route length, deliveries per day (door openings) and highest ambient temperature.
- Power: diesel, hybrid, electric standby or battery-electric, plus depot charging capacity.
- Rules: ATP class for cross-border food, CARB TRU rules in California, city low-emission zones, GDP for pharma lanes.
- Telematics: temperature logging, alarms and data export for audits.
- Five-year cost: unit price, fuel or electricity, servicing intervals, dealer coverage on your routes and residual value.
Technical FAQ
Is transport refrigeration the same procurement as a cold store?
No. A cold store is fixed plant sized on building load and site utilities. A transport refrigeration unit (TRU) is mobile equipment sized on body volume, door openings, route ambient and power source, and is regulated as vehicle equipment. ColdMatch handles them as separate project types.
What is ATP certification?
ATP is the UN agreement on international carriage of perishable foodstuffs. It sets insulation and refrigeration-unit classes for vehicles and containers used across signatory borders. Check whether your routes need an ATP class certificate.
Should I choose a diesel or electric transport refrigeration unit?
It depends on route length, depot charging, local emissions rules (for example California CARB's TRU regulation or city low-emission zones) and the price of fuel compared with electricity. Ask bidders for the unit's energy use on your duty cycle and the cost of charging infrastructure.
How do I compare Carrier Transicold and Thermo King quotes?
Use one specification: body size, temperature setpoints (chilled, frozen, multi-temp), pull-down time, power source, refrigerant, telematics, warranty and the service locations on your routes. Then compare five-year cost of ownership, not unit price alone.
Does ColdMatch handle small fleet orders?
ColdMatch focuses on B2B projects of USD 250,000 or more, such as fleet programmes or transport refrigeration as part of a wider cold-chain project. Our team reviews each request before any supplier is contacted.