Refrigerated container
shipping by sea · −25…+25 °C · unbroken cold chain
Refrigerated container shipping by sea in 20' and 40'HC units: fruit and vegetables, frozen goods, dairy, pharma and flowers from China, Turkey, South-East Asia and Latin America to the consignee's warehouse in Russia. We keep the cold chain along the whole route — on board, at the terminal and on the road.
We fix the setpoint in the booking, use a PTI-checked unit, watch power connection at terminals, put a genset on the road leg and hand over the temperature log for the whole trip. We check phyto and veterinary import requirements in advance — one manager, one invoice, one tracking.
Specification
Specification · Reefer shipping. Standard terms · regime, carrier and timing are confirmed per product
Contract
- Service type
- Reefer · door-to-door
- Container type
- Reefer 20' / 40'HC
- Incoterms
- CFR · CIF · DAP
- Transport document
- B/L with setpoint + temp log
- Settlement currency
- USD · CNY · RUB
Temperature regime
- Temperature range
- −25…+25 °C
- Humidity and ventilation
- 60–95 % RH · 0–285 m³/h
- Unit PTI
- before loading
- Monitoring
- sensors 24/7
- Genset on road leg
- included
Transit time
- Booking & PTI
- 1–3 days
- Ocean leg
- 7–14 days from China, longer from distant regions
- Terminal & phyto/vet
- 2–5 days
- Transit to Moscow
- about 30 days and up
Service flow
- 01
Booking and setpoint
We confirm a reefer slot with the carrier and fix the setpoint, ventilation and humidity for the specific product in the booking. We check permits and the producer's approval before shipment.
1–3 days - 02
PTI and loading
We take a unit that has passed PTI (pre-trip inspection of the refrigeration unit). Cargo must be pre-cooled to carrying temperature — a reefer maintains the regime, it does not cool warm product. We check stowage with air gaps and that temperature logging has started.
1 day - 03
Sea leg with monitoring
Carriage on the liner schedule with setpoint monitoring and alerts on deviations. From China to Vladivostok and Vostochny typically 7–14 days; longer from South-East Asia and distant regions.
7–14 days from China - 04
Terminal and inspections
The unit is plugged in at the terminal; we clear phytosanitary or veterinary control and customs without extra idle time — each day at a reefer yard costs more than for a dry box.
2–5 days - 05
Genset delivery
We truck the unit with a diesel generator (genset) that holds the regime to the consignee's warehouse; after unloading we download the temperature data and hand over the log with closing documents.
per route
Problems
Cold-chain breaks at transfers: during port handling or on the road the unit is left without power and the product loses quality.
We monitor plug-in at the terminal and put a genset on the road leg — the temperature is never interrupted.
Warm cargo is loaded into a reefer expecting it to 'cool down on the way': the unit cannot cope and the product spoils inside the pallets.
Before loading we check product temperature and agree pre-cooling at the shipper's cold store.
Disputes over spoilage: part of the product is spoiled on receipt, and without data it is unclear on which leg the regime was broken.
We hand over a full-voyage temperature log for every unit — it settles the cause of spoilage and is needed by the insurer and at receipt.
Delays at phyto and veterinary control: missing certificates or an unapproved producer keep the reefer at the terminal while daily charges grow.
We check the producer's approval and prepare phyto and veterinary documents before shipment.
Documents
The core document set for a reefer shipment and customs release. For goods under phyto or veterinary control we check in advance that the producer is approved for export to Russia and that the arrival terminal handles such cargo. The final list depends on the product, HS code and delivery term.
Incoterms
- CFR
- cost and freight to the port of destination
- CIF
- cost, insurance and freight
- DAP
- delivered at place
- DDP
- delivered duty paid
Documents
- Commercial Invoice
- commercial invoice
- Packing List
- packing list with net/gross weight and production dates
- Temp log
- controller data download for the whole trip
- Phytosanitary certificate
- for plant products — Rosselkhoznadzor phytosanitary control
- Veterinary certificate
- for animal products; veterinary documents are issued in the FGIS Mercury system
FAQ
By sea it is typically 7–14 days depending on the port and carrier, plus 2–5 days at the port for phyto or veterinary control and customs. To Moscow by rail or road, allow about 30 days and up.
We fix the setpoint in the booking and on the B/L, use a PTI-checked unit, monitor plug-in at the terminal and use a genset on the road leg. That way the temperature is never interrupted.
Yes. A reefer is designed to maintain temperature, not to cool warm product: if cargo is loaded warmer than the setpoint, the unit will not bring it down, especially in the middle of pallets. Product is cooled to carrying temperature at the shipper's cold store.
A PTI (pre-trip inspection) is a depot check of the refrigeration unit: compressor, sensors, controller and seals. We do not accept a unit without a fresh PTI — it is the main safeguard against a unit failure in transit.
Yes. For each unit we hand over the temperature log for the whole trip — the controller data download. It settles disputes over spoilage and is needed by the insurer and at receipt.
Yes. We check in advance that the producer is approved for export to Russia, prepare phytosanitary and veterinary certificates and issue veterinary documents in the FGIS Mercury system. Port inspections are cleared without unnecessary reefer idle time.