Abstract: A large-volume shipping container has a pair of upright and spaced side walls and a floor extending between lower edges of the side walls and formed with at least two groups of full-length passages upwardly open at respective full-length slots. In accordance with the invention the passages of one of the groups has a flow cross section different from the passages of the other group. A roof extends between upper edges of the side walls, a rear end door wall extends between rear edges of the roof, floor, and side walls, and a front end wall extends between front edges of the roof, floor, and side walls and defines with the roof, floor, and other walls a closed cargo-containing space. A refrigerating apparatus in the front end wall forces cool air into front ends of the passages to distribute the cool air through the space differentially according to the flow cross sections of the passages.