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.
Charleston, South Carolina Refrigerated Container Rentals
Rental refrigeration is available in Charleston, South Carolina. HHrefrigeration rents refrigerated trailers, refrigerated containers, mobile kitchens, and dishwashing trailers to commercial and industrial customers in Charleston and across Berkeley County and Charleston County.
Charleston is a city in Berkeley County and Charleston County with about 155,369 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 Charleston and the dates you need.
Charleston, SC at a glance
Numbers for Charleston that matter when planning a rental: how big it is, how spread out it is, and how far the next larger place sits.
Winter storms in South Carolina (December to February) can slow or close roads, so tell us your start date early and we plan the trip with the forecast in mind.
- Place: city in Berkeley County and Charleston County, South Carolina.
- Population: 155,369 (2023 Census Bureau estimate), number 1 of 20 South Carolina places on our list.
- Land area: 115 square miles, about 1,354 people per square mile.
- Elevation: about 3 feet.
- Charleston is the county seat of Berkeley County.
- Nearest larger place we list: Charlotte, NC, 172 miles north.
- Other places we list within 50 miles: 3.
How we plan getting a trailer to Charleston
Every rental in Charleston starts with the address, not a warehouse. Here is how a request for Charleston, SC moves from call to cold storage:
- Call or send the form. Tell us the street address in Charleston, 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.
- Charleston is reached by county and state roads, and South Carolina's main corridors include I-95, I-26, and I-20. Tell us the street address and we confirm the approach, the final turn, and the room the truck needs.
- Charleston is the largest city we list in South Carolina, so most requests here are about dock access, narrow lots, and timing around business hours rather than long road miles.
- 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 Charleston
When cold storage fails in Charleston, speed of information matters most. Call (888) 385-5513 any hour, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and tell us:
In South Carolina, calls like this often follow tornado and winter storm. Operations that cannot wait for the grid to return can rent a refrigerated trailer as backup walk-in space and keep inventory at holding temperature.
For official emergency information in South Carolina, see South Carolina Emergency Management Division. We are not an emergency agency; for danger to life, call 911.
- The address in Charleston (and the Berkeley 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 Charleston
Summers are hot and humid, with daytime highs near 90 F across most of the state, overnight lows near 70 F and relative humidity around 74 to 79 percent in Greenville and Charleston. Winters are mild; the coast averages highs near 60 F and the Piedmont near 50 F, with freezing rain more common than snow around and southeast of Columbia. The statewide record low is -19 F. Restaurants, grocers, food distributors, and healthcare kitchens in the region often rent a trailer when a compressor fails in the heat.
Tourism, the port and logistics, aerospace and information technology drive the economy, and Boeing has a strong presence. A large tourism and port economy creates steady commercial refrigeration and catering demand.
Charleston sits at about 3 ft elevation; a 1713 hurricane flooded much of Charles Town and the 1886 earthquake damaged about 2,000 buildings. Low elevation and storm history mean flood and surge risk to power and food operations.
Spoleto Festival USA runs for 17 days each late spring. Large festivals create seasonal demand for temporary kitchens and cold storage.
Tornado risk in South Carolina (spring, with a secondary peak in November): The state averages about 14 tornadoes a year. An EF3 hit Seneca on April 13, 2020, and an EF2 damaged Manning on April 5, 2022. A tornado that damages a building or its electrical service can put a kitchen or cooler out of use and often creates a short-term need for temporary equipment.
Winter storm risk in South Carolina (December to February): Freezing rain is more common than snow in the Midlands; Rock Hill received 22 inches of snow in February 2004 and schools closed for a week. Winter Storm Pax hit in 2014. Ice and heavy snow in a mild-winter state can bring prolonged power loss that threatens refrigerated inventory.
Two tornadoes on April 10, 2009 left most of Abbeville without power. Small-town outages after severe storms can leave grocers and restaurants without refrigeration.
Food service and business in Charleston
The kinds of operations that rent refrigeration in a city like Charleston are health systems, school districts and campuses, hotel and banquet kitchens, grocery chains, cold-storage and distribution operators, and large events.
The South Carolina Ports Authority opened a $14 million refrigerated container service area at Wando Welch Terminal; loaded reefer volume has grown 86% since 2011, driven by nearby pork and poultry exporters. Reefer growth at the port can create overflow cold-storage and power-backup needs for exporters and importers.
Lexington County is the state's top poultry producer, with large processors Amick Farms and Columbia Farms near Batesburg-Leesville. Poultry processing depends on continuous refrigeration, and plants can need temporary cold storage during outages or downtime.
Charleston 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 South Carolina: South Carolina Poultry Festival (second Saturday in May); South Carolina State Fair (October). A community festival centered on a poultry-producing county can use temporary food service equipment.
Equipment you can rent in Charleston
Refrigeration is our focus, and Charleston customers rent the same four units as the rest of South Carolina:
If the kitchen itself is down, add a mobile kitchen and a dishwashing trailer so Charleston 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 Charleston
Renting a refrigerated trailer in Charleston is simple, but a few items decide whether it runs smoothly on the first day.
Under Regulation 61-25 (Retail Food Establishments), no person or mobile unit may serve time/temperature control for safety food at a temporary food service establishment unless the sponsoring entity obtains authorization from the Department. Event organizers and temporary kitchens serving TCS food need sponsor authorization before the event.
The Department of Agriculture maintains an environmental emergency recovery page with retail food establishment guidance for recovering from flooding and other emergencies. Businesses that lose power or are flooded can use it to decide what must be discarded and what is needed to reopen.
- 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 Charleston 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 South Carolina Department of Agriculture, Retail Food Safety.
- 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 Charleston
Charleston's road access comes from county and state routes in Berkeley County. For planning, here are the main corridors that cross South Carolina:
Charleston sits at about 3 feet above sea level, near sea level, where coastal flooding and storm surge are part of planning.
- I-95: Runs through the Lowcountry and Pee Dee: Walterboro (exits 53, 57), Manning (exits 115, 119, 122) and Ridgeland (exits 21, 22).
- I-26: Links Charleston and North Charleston with Columbia.
- I-20: Major east-west interstate through Columbia.
- I-77: Runs through Columbia and Rock Hill (exits 73-82) toward Charlotte.
Rental prices for Charleston 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 Charleston, setup, servicing, and minimum terms are confirmed in your quote.
More of South Carolina and the Southeast
Charleston is one of the places we list in South Carolina, and South Carolina is part of our Southeast service area. Browse the South Carolina 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 Charleston, SC.
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.
Charleston rental questions
Do you rent refrigerated trailers in Charleston, South Carolina?
Yes. HHrefrigeration rents refrigerated trailers, refrigerated containers, mobile kitchens, and dishwashing trailers to commercial and industrial customers in Charleston and Berkeley 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 Charleston is busy and tight on space?
Tell us about the dock, lot, or alley where the unit will sit, including any width limits, and we plan the approach to fit. Setup on site takes about 1 hour for a refrigeration unit.
What power does a refrigerated trailer need in Charleston?
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 Charleston site before delivery, and send the voltage, phase, and amps with your request.
Who do I contact about food safety rules in Berkeley County?
Start with South Carolina Department of Agriculture, Retail Food Safety (https://agriculture.sc.gov/retail-food-safety). 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 Charleston 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 Charleston 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 tornado season in South Carolina?
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. Tornado risk in South Carolina is highest spring, with a secondary peak in November.
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.