Refrigerated Freight Cargo Van & Container
Opening and Closing Tool

SCS International is now an affiliate reseller of new and used shipping containers/conex boxes, shipping container doors and parts! For more information, please contact us or browse on Amazon/eBay:

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• Shipping Container Rubber Gaskets | Buy on Amazon or eBay
• Shipping Container Hinge Pins | Buy on Amazon or eBay

Included in the category of refrigerated freight cargo vans are standard dry freight cargo vans. These have their own wheels and are called trailers.

Refrigerated Freight Cargo Vans: Keeping Goods Fresh and Safe

Refrigerated freight cargo vans, also known as reefer trailers, are a specialized type of trailer used for shipping perishable goods, such as food, pharmaceuticals, and flowers. These trailers are equipped with temperature-controlled environments, making it possible to transport goods that require specific temperatures and to keep them fresh and safe during transit. In this article, we will explore what refrigerated freight cargo vans are, their history, and their role in the modern supply chain.

What are Refrigerated Freight Cargo Vans?

Refrigerated freight cargo vans are specialized trailers that are equipped with temperature-controlled environments. These trailers are designed to carry perishable goods, such as food, pharmaceuticals, and flowers, that require specific temperatures to remain fresh and safe. Refrigerated freight cargo vans are typically 53 feet long and have a height of 8.5 feet, making them capable of carrying a large amount of goods in a single trip.

History of Refrigerated Freight Cargo Vans

The use of refrigerated freight cargo vans can be traced back to the early 20th century, when they were used to transport perishable goods by rail. Over time, they have become the standard for transporting perishable goods by truck, with millions of trailers in use around the world.

Role in the Modern Supply Chain

Refrigerated freight cargo vans play a critical role in the modern supply chain. They are used to transport perishable goods from manufacturers and distributors to retailers, and from retailers to customers. With their temperature-controlled environments, refrigerated freight cargo vans make it possible to transport goods that require specific temperatures, ensuring that they remain fresh and safe during transit.

In addition, the standardization of refrigerated freight cargo vans makes it easier to handle and transport goods, reducing the risk of damage and improving overall efficiency. The trailers are also equipped with security features, such as lockable doors and tamper-evident seals, to ensure that the goods inside are protected during transit.

OPNBar Opening and Closing Tool

Refrigerated Freight Cargo Vans use the same type and style of doors and locking bars, which our tool can be used.

What all these units have in common, is that they use the same type and style of doors and locking bars, which our tool can be used. This was done by design, not by chance.

Lengths are as follows: 20′, 40′, 45′, 48′, 50′, 53′. All these containers are globally used to transport cargo.  The 53′ length is now, the new standard length.

Please be sure to read OPNBar Extended Instructions & Precautions

Why are the Doors of My Refrigerated Freight Cargo Van or Shipping Container Difficult to Open/Close?

Here are some likely reasons a refrigerated freight cargo van or container door will not open or close. Our hand leverage tool / shipping container door extension handle helps to address these issues.

• Rust and Corrosion: The hinge pins and blade are seized due to corrosion.  As shipping containers navigate through diverse weather conditions and environments over time, they become susceptible to rust and corrosion. These corrosive agents can target the locking mechanisms and hinges, ultimately impeding the smooth operation of the container's doors. This accumulation of rust and corrosion introduces a layer of complexity to unlocking and opening the container.
• Maintenance Neglect: Regular maintenance is pivotal to sustaining the functionality of shipping containers. The absence of consistent upkeep can lead to complications with the locking mechanisms, hinges, and seals. Without proper lubrication and care, these components might stiffen or become challenging to manipulate, thereby escalating the difficulty of opening the container.
• Physical Impact: The nature of shipping exposes containers to a barrage of wear and tear, stemming from transportation and handling activities. Consequently, the containers might acquire dents, twists, or misalignments. These physical distortions can hinder the proper alignment of the doors, rendering the opening process arduous.
• Uneven Placement: Placing a shipping container on uneven ground can disrupt its frame's equilibrium. This misalignment can extend to the doors, making them difficult to open or close. The uneven stance of the container introduces an extra layer of complexity when trying to access its interior.  Doors and lock rods may warp or the container frame is racked so that the door gear will not operate correctly. This may be caused by cargo shifting during transit. Look at the container to make sure that the doors are aligned and level, both top, and bottom.
• Temperature Influences: Drastic temperature variations encountered during transportation can trigger material expansion and contraction. This phenomenon reverberates through the locking mechanisms and hinges, potentially impairing their normal operation. The impact of temperature fluctuations compounds the challenges associated with opening the container.  Water has become trapped between frozen shipping container doors, particularly relevant to refrigerated cargoes, or containers with moisture-releasing cargoes in cold weather.
• Inadequate Tools: The task of opening a shipping container may necessitate specialized tools such as heavy-duty bolt cutters or unique locking mechanism tools. In the absence of these tools, the process can become considerably more demanding.
• Sealing Complexity: Some shipping containers employ adhesive materials or seals to ensure the contents remain shielded from environmental elements. Over time, these seals can harden and resist breaking. Consequently, accessing the container requires overcoming this intricate sealing mechanism. 
• The door gasket has been damaged and is preventing opening. Door gaskets are designed to present two or more fins against the structure or adjacent door. These are generally flexible but when the gasket is damaged, they may become hard or blocked thus jamming the door closed, or preventing it from being closed. 
• Security Enhancements: Certain shipping containers incorporate robust security features to discourage unauthorized access and potential theft. Although these features are indispensable for safeguarding the contents, they can inadvertently increase the intricacy of opening the container.
• The Covid economy had also released many shipping containers in the world which are now often reused and the issue of hard-to-open/close used shipping containers is now a more common issue than ever.

How to Open & Close Difficult Shipping Container Doors

This leverage tool uses the principles of leverage to do the difficult work. By providing an extended area on which to grasp, with both hands, a more stable platform to manipulate the latch handle is achieved.

Designed to fit and extend the door latch handles on side-by-side doors found on the following units with the safety of the truck driver, operator, and worker foremost in mind:

• • Standard Shipping Containers
  • Conex Boxes
  • Intermodal Containers
  • ISO Containers
  • Reefer Containers
  • Military Containers
  • Waste Management Containers
  • Dismountable Shipping Cargo Containers
  • Refrigerated Shipping Cargo Containers
  • Semitrailer Dry Freight Cargo Vans
  • Semitrailer Refrigerated Freight Cargo Vans

This intermodal container (also known as ISO Container, Conex Box, or Railroad Container) cargo inspection tool and leverage safety bar is to aid in opening and closing side-by-side doors found within Dismountable Shipping Cargo Container Trailer Transportation Industries (Railroad, Harbor, and Trucking Industries).

Eliminates the Need for a crescent wrench, screwdriver, hammer, and crowbar which are commonly needed/used to open stuck shipping container doors.

Injuries from Opening/Closing Hard-to-Open/Close Shipping Container Doors

On a freezing morning, when ice has seized a car door shut, one would never consider using a crowbar to open a car door.  The same thing goes for shipping containers.   While conditions may be more extreme in container operations, is it reasonable to use that kind of force to open or close container doors? Experience suggests that it is not, and often ends with someone being hurt.

Injuries to personnel involved with container door opening and closing are increasing, and often it is as a result of an inappropriate technique that is being employed. We might expect container doors to open and close as if they were car doors, without understanding why this might not be the case.

Starting with the structure of container doors, most will have four or five hinges per door. The mechanics at the point of manufacture is that the hinge pins must be all aligned on the same plane (vertical and horizontal) and in line. Offset hinge pins will result in the blade binding when it is rotated about the pin – the more the misalignment, the greater resistance will be encountered during operation. At the time of manufacture, therefore, it might be expected that the hinge pins on every door are aligned and free to fully open (270º of operation).

Let’s assume that the container is presented in pristine or well-maintained condition; why might the door not open with ease? Containers are generally either on a trailer/chassis or on the ground, and in both cases, the position of the locking gear handles are at an inconvenient height. For best results, the handles should be directly in front of you and at a height that is above the waist and below the shoulders.

Technique is all-important. Start with the two lock rods on the right-hand door, lift the handles out of the retainers and rotate them together as far as they will go. This should be more than 90º and rotation beyond 90º often initiates the container door opening process by forcing the cams out of their keepers. Then grasp the vertical locking bars, one in each hand, so that your hands are just below shoulder height and pull back with your body, using your leg muscles rather than your back.

If the door is still stuck, unless specifically advised against doing so (ie. the container is carrying a flexitank or bulk cargo), open the locking bars on the left-hand door and then grasp the inner locking rod of both doors and pull back, again using your body not your back. If the door still will not open, ask a colleague to pull on one door while you pull on the other.

Injuries almost always occur at the point frustration takes over and mechanical means are employed – the crowbar or a fork truck. So why will the door not open? Generally, this can be attributed to one of four reasons:

• The container frame is racked so that the door gear will not operate correctly. This may be caused by cargo shifting during transit. Look at the container to make sure that the doors are aligned and level, both top, and bottom.
• The hinge pins and blade are seized due to corrosion.
• The door gasket has been damaged and is preventing container door opening. Door gaskets are designed to present two or more fins against the structure or adjacent door. These are generally flexible but when the gasket is damaged, they may become hard or blocked thus jamming the door closed, or preventing it from being closed.
• Water has become trapped between the doors and frozen, particularly relevant to refrigerated cargoes, or containers with moisture-releasing cargoes in cold weather.

 Doors that open but are stiff to move may suffer from the first two reasons above, along with possible misaligned hinge pins. Pins can become misaligned by damage to the ‘J-bar’ which has twisted one or more pins, or a hinge blade or pin has incorrectly aligned the blade with the hinges on the door.  Adding a backing plate under a single hinge blade may help take the blades out of alignment.  When a hinge blade needs to be refitted because of damage or corrosion and a doubler plate is required, plates should be inserted under all the blades on that door.

The safe operation of doors requires that some attention be given to them. Many hinges have coatings on the inner surface of the hinge blade, others use plastic liners, both of which are designed to protect against corrosion. Some designs are fitted with greasing apertures. Fundamental to success is the examination and maintenance processes.

Typically, doors will be opened for in-service inspections and off-hires. Where oil does not free the hinges, repair work is probably necessary. An inspection is required to check that the hinges and hinge pin welds are not broken or cracked. Opening doors could be done when a depot releases a unit for packing, since it may have been in the stack for a prolonged period.

If the doors cannot be opened to pack a container, send the unit back! If it is already packed and you need to open the doors, but they will not open by hand, try to pull both doors open at the same time with increasing power. If you need more than two people, ensure you tell the container operator, especially if, as a result of container door opening, the locking gear or doors are or become damaged.

And, when you are opening a packed container, remember to watch out for those packages that are just about to fall out. In all these matters, be alert that the doors are big and heavy – treat them with respect and report anything unusual.

Source: TT Club

Equip operators with the proper tools needed and promote safety to help them avoid injury.

Related: Injuries from Opening/Closing Hard to Open/Close Shipping Container Doors