12 ft Refrigerated Trailer
Starting from $1,895 / month
The smallest trailer in the lineup. It fits tight lots and loading areas when a small walk-in cooler or freezer goes down.
Tampa, Florida Refrigeration Trailer Rentals
If a walk-in cooler or freezer fails in Tampa, Florida, you can rent cold storage from HHrefrigeration and have it planned for your address. We rent refrigerated trailers and containers, mobile kitchens, and dishwashing trailers to businesses and institutions in Hillsborough County.
Tampa is a city in Hillsborough County with about 403,364 residents (2023 Census Bureau estimate), and it is the county seat. Customers who rent in a place like this include health systems, school districts and campuses, hotel and banquet kitchens, grocery chains, cold-storage and distribution operators, and large events. Rent for a few days to cover a repair, or lease for months through a renovation, a harvest, a construction project, or a seasonal peak.
Emergency? Call (888) 385-5513, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For planned work, send the quote form below with the address in Tampa and the dates you need.
Tampa, FL at a glance
Numbers for Tampa that matter when planning a rental: how big it is, how spread out it is, and how far the next larger place sits.
Severe weather in Florida can change road conditions quickly, so confirm your site access the day before delivery and keep our number handy.
- Place: city in Hillsborough County, Florida.
- Population: 403,364 (2023 Census Bureau estimate), number 3 of 20 Florida places on our list.
- Land area: 114 square miles, about 3,538 people per square mile.
- Elevation: about 10 feet.
- Tampa is the county seat of Hillsborough County.
- Nearest larger place we list: Jacksonville, 171 miles north.
- Other places we list within 50 miles: 4.
How we plan getting a trailer to Tampa
Every rental in Tampa starts with the address, not a warehouse. Here is how a request for Tampa, FL moves from call to cold storage:
- Call or send the form. Tell us the street address in Tampa, what failed or what you are planning, and the temperature you need. Emergencies go to (888) 385-5513.
- We match the unit. A 12 ft refrigerated trailer suits tight lots and small kitchens, a 20 ft trailer holds more, and a refrigerated container is for bulk storage over longer jobs.
- Roads that serve Tampa include I-275 and I-4. We confirm which approach suits a trailer, how the truck turns onto your site, and whether anything on the last few blocks is posted or restricted.
- Tampa is roughly 171 straight-line miles south of Jacksonville, Florida's largest city on our list. A longer trip means we plan routes, weather, and delivery timing with more care, and we confirm both in your quote.
- We confirm power and placement. The 20 ft trailers list 220V, single phase, 40 to 60 amps with a NEMA plug, so have an electrician confirm your service. Pick a firm, level spot with room for the door to open and for the truck to reach it.
- Delivery and setup. On site, setup takes about 1 hour for a refrigeration unit, plus 4 to 6 hours if a ramp is needed or 5 to 15 minutes for stairs. Delivery timing, servicing, and minimum terms are written into your quote, and an inquiry does not reserve equipment.
Emergency refrigeration support in Tampa
When cold storage fails in Tampa, speed of information matters most. Call (888) 385-5513 any hour, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and tell us:
In Florida, calls like this often follow other and hurricane. When conditions like this interrupt a kitchen or a walk-in, a refrigerated trailer rental is the fastest way to protect cold product.
For official emergency information in Florida, see Florida Division of Emergency Management. We are not an emergency agency; for danger to life, call 911.
- The address in Tampa (and the Hillsborough County location if it is outside town limits).
- What failed: a walk-in cooler, a freezer, a compressor, or the power itself.
- How much product is at risk, and whether it must stay at 32°F (cooler) or near -5°F (freezer).
- The power available at the site and whether a truck can reach the spot.
- Keep doors closed until the unit arrives so the product holds its temperature as long as possible.
What drives cold-storage demand around Tampa
Summers are hot and humid statewide, with typical highs from about 90F in the Keys to about 95F in the north and heat indexes of 103-110F. A rainy season brings daily thunderstorms from roughly May through October. Winters are the mildest in the continental U.S., though central and north Florida see occasional freezes. Restaurants, grocers, food distributors, and healthcare kitchens in the region often rent a trailer when a compressor fails in the heat.
Tampa is the county seat of Hillsborough County and home to Port Tampa Bay, Florida's largest port, with over $15 billion in economic impact. Port activity supports cold chain storage and overflow refrigeration demand.
MacDill Air Force Base hosts U.S. Central Command headquarters, and the University of South Florida and University of Tampa are in the city. Large institutions with dining operations can need temporary kitchens or dishwashing during outages or renovations.
The Gasparilla Pirate Festival has been held in Tampa yearly since 1904, with a few exceptions. Big annual events concentrate food service demand and can use temporary refrigeration and kitchens.
Hurricane Helene (2024) brought the Tampa Bay area its worst storm surge in about 100 years, and Milton followed within two weeks. Storm surge and outages can force restaurants and grocers to seek emergency refrigeration.
Other risk in Florida (Winter (freeze events)): Florida has had 12 major freezes, four of them 'impact' freezes (1894-95, 1962, 1983, 1989) that killed citrus groves. Central Florida sees freezing or near-freezing nights every few years. Freeze events can force growers and packers to harvest and chill crops quickly, which can raise short-term demand for cold storage.
Hurricane risk in Florida (June to November (peak August to October)): Tropical cyclones have affected Florida in every month except January and March, and nearly three-fourths of them arrive between August and October. Monroe County has been struck by 26 hurricanes since 1926, the most of any U.S. county. Hurricanes can knock out grocery, restaurant and hospital refrigeration for days and often create a need for emergency cold storage and temporary kitchens.
FPL reported restoring power to more than 680,000 customers after Hurricane Helene in 2024 and to nearly 200,000 customers affected by Hurricane Idalia in 2023. Even with fast utility restoration, a one- to several-day outage can exceed safe holding times for refrigerated food.
Food service and business in Tampa
The kinds of operations that rent refrigeration in a city like Tampa are health systems, school districts and campuses, hotel and banquet kitchens, grocery chains, cold-storage and distribution operators, and large events.
Florida is the nation's largest sugarcane producer, mostly grown around Lake Okeechobee, and also grows citrus (about 17% of the U.S. citrus crop in 2024). Citrus and sugar processing seasons can call for temporary chilled storage and worker food service at peak times.
PortMiami is described as the world's busiest cruise port, and the Miami area drew over four million visitors in 2022. Cruise provisioning and large visitor volumes depend on cold chain storage and high-volume food service.
Tampa customers use refrigeration trailers in three common ways: as emergency cover for a failed walk-in, as extra capacity during a peak (a harvest, a festival, a holiday week), and as temporary cold storage during a renovation. See rental prices for what each unit costs, or how to plan your site before delivery.
Demand also rises around events in Florida: Gasparilla Pirate Festival (Winter (annual, Tampa)); Florida Strawberry Festival (Late February to early March (Feb. 26 - Mar. 8 in 2026)). Parade and waterfront crowds drive large temporary food service operations.
Equipment you can rent in Tampa
Refrigeration is our focus, and Tampa customers rent the same four units as the rest of Florida:
If the kitchen itself is down, add a mobile kitchen and a dishwashing trailer so Tampa operators can keep serving while cold storage is covered.
20 ft Refrigerated Trailer
Starting from $1,895 / month
The workhorse. A 20 ft trailer comes as a 32°F cooler or as a low-temperature freezer configuration, so you can match what failed.
20 ft Refrigerated Container
Starting from $2,995 / month
A stationary cold storage box for bulk product, built for longer projects, seasonal peaks, and renovations.
40 ft Refrigerated Container
Starting from $3,995 / month
The largest cold storage option. It takes pallets and bulk product for food distribution, disaster response, and large facilities.
Requirements for renting a refrigerated trailer in Tampa
Renting a refrigerated trailer in Tampa is simple, but a few items decide whether it runs smoothly on the first day.
DBPR's Division of Hotels and Restaurants publishes Emergency Recovery Guidelines urging licensed food service operators to take special measures during power or water outages and other emergencies. Restaurants that lose power can check state guidance on holding temperatures and reopening before using temporary refrigeration.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Food Safety issues storm-season alerts to food permit holders and shares pre- and post-storm materials such as a Damaged Food Guide. Grocers and food processors regulated by FDACS can use its guidance when deciding what to keep or discard after an outage.
- Customer type: commercial or industrial only (restaurants, grocers, healthcare, schools, hospitality, distributors, government). We do not rent to residential customers.
- Power: 220V, single phase, 40 to 60 amps for the 20 ft trailers, with a NEMA plug. Ask your electrician to confirm the circuit at your Tampa site before delivery.
- Placement: a firm, level surface with room for the trailer, its door swing, and the delivery truck. Soft ground, steep slopes, and overhead lines are the usual problems.
- Access: send the gate or door width, any low clearances, and the best approach into the property.
- Permission: if you rent the property, get the owner or manager's approval to place a trailer. For food-safety questions, contact Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Hotels and Restaurants (with FDACS Division of Food Safety for retail food stores).
- Paperwork: your quote lists the unit, the rental length, delivery, setup, servicing, and minimum terms. An inquiry does not reserve equipment.
Roads, routes, and access around Tampa
Highways and routes tied to Tampa:
Tampa sits at about 10 feet above sea level, near sea level, where coastal flooding and storm surge are part of planning.
Nearby places we also serve: St. Petersburg (17 miles southwest), Brooksville (38 miles north), Longboat Key (41 miles south), Lake Alfred (47 miles east), Arcadia (64 miles southeast).
- I-275: Runs through Tampa; also bounds the New Tampa area with I-75.
- I-4: Western terminus is at I-275 in Tampa.
Rental prices for Tampa at a glance
Rates are the same nationwide. Rentals start from $1,895 / month for a 12 ft trailer, and the price sheet prints a separate rate for 1-6 days, 8-14 days, 15 days to 1 month, and more than 3 months. See every rate. Delivery to Tampa, setup, servicing, and minimum terms are confirmed in your quote.
More of Florida and the Southeast
Tampa is one of the places we list in Florida, and Florida is part of our Southeast service area. Browse the Florida service area for every city page in the state, or the full service-area map.
Rental terms at a glance
Rentals run by the week or by the month, with short-term and long-term options, and we answer calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Setup on site takes about 1 hour for a refrigeration unit and about 5 hours for a kitchen or dishwashing trailer; a ramp adds 4 to 6 hours and stairs add 5 to 15 minutes. GPS tracking is possible on request. Delivery, setup, servicing, and minimum terms are confirmed in your quote, and an inquiry does not reserve equipment.
Cold storage down? Call now.
Emergency refrigeration rentals in Tampa, FL.
If a walk-in cooler or freezer has stopped holding temperature, call now. Tell us your city and state, what failed, how much product is at risk, and what power is on site. Keep doors closed to hold the cold while we work out the right trailer or container for you.
Tampa rental questions
Do you rent refrigerated trailers in Tampa, Florida?
Yes. HHrefrigeration rents refrigerated trailers, refrigerated containers, mobile kitchens, and dishwashing trailers to commercial and industrial customers in Tampa and Hillsborough County. Call (888) 385-5513 or send the quote form with your address. An inquiry does not reserve equipment; availability, delivery, and terms are confirmed in your quote.
How do I get a trailer if Tampa is far from a major city?
We plan the delivery from your street address, not from a fixed point on the map. Tampa is about 171 miles south of Jacksonville, so we confirm the route, the final approach, and the timing with you in the quote.
What power does a refrigerated trailer need in Tampa?
The 20 ft refrigerated trailers list 220V, single phase, 40 to 60 amps, with a NEMA plug. Have a licensed electrician confirm your service at the Tampa site before delivery, and send the voltage, phase, and amps with your request.
Who do I contact about food safety rules in Hillsborough County?
Start with Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Hotels and Restaurants (with FDACS Division of Food Safety for retail food stores) (https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/hotels-restaurants/). Rules vary by jurisdiction, so check with them before you place temporary refrigeration or a temporary kitchen.
Can I rent a mobile kitchen or dishwashing trailer in Tampa too?
Yes. When a kitchen is down, we rent mobile kitchens from 24 ft to 40 ft and dishwashing trailers from 22 ft to 38 ft. Many Tampa customers pair them with a refrigerated trailer so they can cook, serve, and clean up while permanent equipment is repaired.
What should I do before other season in Florida?
Know your site's power and placement details, keep our number ((888) 385-5513) handy, and call early if a forecast puts your walk-in at risk. Other risk in Florida is highest Winter (freeze events).
Sources for local facts
Sources
Local facts on this page come from public sources. Population is the Census Bureau's 2023 estimate.
What to send for a fast quote
- The city and state where the unit will sit
- What failed and how much product is at risk
- Cooler (32°F) or freezer temperature needed
- Power available at the site: voltage, phase, and amps
- Access: gate or door width, surface, and where the unit will be placed
- How long you expect to need it
Prefer to talk? Call (888) 385-5513 any time.