New Jersey Refrigeration Trailer Rentals

What drives cold-storage demand in New Jersey

Weather and hazards

• Hurricane (August to October): Hurricane Sandy (October 2012) produced an 8.57 ft surge at Sandy Hook, destroyed boardwalk sections at Belmar and Seaside Heights, and caused about $30 billion in losses, the costliest natural disaster in state history. Coastal surge and long outages can leave restaurants, hotels and grocers needing temporary cold storage or a temporary kitchen. Source
• Flood (Year round, often late summer and fall): Remnants of Hurricane Ida (September 2021) brought record rain to Newark, severe flooding in Manville and over 300 water rescues. Hurricane Irene (2011) flooded the Passaic River in Paterson to levels not seen in 100 years. Flooded kitchens and cold rooms can often be out of service for weeks, creating demand for temporary kitchens and dishwashing. Source
• Winter storm (November to April): Nor'easters can bring snow or heavy rain; Newark averages about 31.5 inches of snow a year and most snow falls between mid-November and mid-April. Northwest highlands get the most. Winter storms that interrupt power or deliveries can strain food storage. Source
• Tornado (May to August): Most areas see 25 to 30 thunderstorms a year, and about five tornadoes are reported statewide annually, usually weak. Severe thunderstorms are a common cause of short local power outages. Source

Power outages

• Hurricane Sandy left over 2 million New Jersey households without power at its peak, about 775,000 were still dark a week later, and 95 percent were restored within 11 days. Outages lasting more than a week exceed what food businesses can cover with on-site refrigeration. Source
• During Sandy, half of Jersey City lost power and Atlantic City casinos closed for six days, with November casino revenue falling 28 percent. Large hospitality operations with big kitchens and cold rooms are hit hard by extended outages. Source
• The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management publishes pages on power outages, floods, hurricanes and winter weather and announces state-of-emergency declarations for such events. Declared emergencies often coincide with outages that raise demand for emergency cold storage. Source

Food and hospitality

• Almost 10,000 New Jersey farms generated nearly $1.5 billion in cash receipts in 2022, and the state ranks in the top 10 nationally for blueberries, cranberries, tomatoes, peaches, spinach and other crops. Produce growers and packers rely on cold chain capacity at harvest. Source
• A 2020 industry study estimated New Jersey's blueberry growers generate about $149.3 million in annual economic impact and support 1,885 full-time-equivalent jobs. Blueberries are perishable and need rapid cooling and cold storage in early summer. Source
• The Port of New York and New Jersey, led by Port Newark-Elizabeth, handled over 7.8 million TEUs in 2023 and is the busiest container port on the East Coast. Port-adjacent importers and distributors move large volumes through cold storage and may need extra capacity. Source
• New Jersey is described as an epicenter for logistics and distribution on the Atlantic seaboard, and the Garden State Parkway opened the Jersey Shore to millions of New York-area visitors. Distribution and shore hospitality both generate steady demand for refrigerated storage and event kitchens. Source
• Wildwood's year-round population of about 5,100 swells to as many as 250,000 in peak summer season. Shore towns with huge seasonal swings rely on temporary food storage and kitchen capacity. Source