Since its founding in 1938 by Joseph Numero and Frederick Jones, Thermo King has been dedicated to refrigeration products. It has provided professional refrigeration technology and services to the global logistics and supply chain industry, primarily for the transportation, preservation, and refrigeration of temperature-sensitive goods such as food, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and other refrigerated cargo.

Thermo King's product line includes transport refrigeration units (core products), refrigerated containers, refrigerated vehicles, cold storage units, and control systems. The transport refrigeration units, installed on trucks, trailers, railcars, and ships, are the core products used to maintain the temperature of goods during transportation.