About us

Founded in Sète in 1947, Arnal specialises in the handling, storage, inspection, repair, cleaning and conversion of shipping containers.

Now led by the third generation of the founding family, the company combines proven industrial expertise with an ongoing commitment to safer, more efficient and lower-carbon logistics.

Arnal’s depots receive, inspect, store and prepare containers on behalf of shipping lines. The teams monitor incoming and outgoing containers, assess their condition, direct them to the appropriate areas, and carry out repairs, reconditioning and quality control.

Arnal also carries out maintenance on refrigerated containers, including visual, electrical and leak tests, fault diagnosis, repairs and the management of spare parts, in accordance with the specific requirements for refrigerated equipment.

As a direct legacy of its founding business, the cleaning of tank containers remains one of Arnal’s key areas of expertise. Operators organise the operations, apply industrial cleaning procedures, monitor the quality of the cleaning process and ensure compliance with safety and environmental requirements.

Arnal also supports its customers with specific preparations and bespoke modifications: selecting suitable units, adding equipment, preparing Flexitanks or ISO kits, and carrying out technical adaptations and special fittings depending on the intended use.

Since its inception, Arnal has based its business on the principles of reuse and sustainability. By repairing and refurbishing shipping containers, the company extends their lifespan and reduces the need to manufacture new ones.

This approach gives a second life to robust equipment, designed to last, whilst helping to conserve resources and reduce its customers’ carbon footprint.

In 2025, this practical approach resulted in the recycling of 280 tonnes of scrap metal, confirming Arnal’s role in a more circular and responsible economy.

Arnal is committed to a decarbonisation programme with a clear objective: to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030. This ambition is underpinned by concrete measures being rolled out gradually across its depots: voluntary carbon accounting, the use of biofuels, eco-driving and optimisation of fuel consumption.

In 2025, 482,000 litres of biofuel were consumed, representing 57% of the group’s total fuel consumption. Arnal is also continuing to electrify its equipment, as in Le Havre, where a 100% electric container handler helps to avoid up to 60 tonnes of CO₂ per year.

A measurable and gradual approach to reducing fossil fuel consumption and building a more responsible logistics system.

At Arnal, the challenge is clear: to rethink logistics flows in order to gradually reduce the proportion of road transport in favour of rail. The aim is to link our depots more directly to major French and international ports, whilst reducing the number of lorries on the roads. In practical terms, this modal shift should enable us to replace up to 25% of lorries with five trains a week, equivalent to 127,000 tonnes of goods transported by rail. This represents a major step forward in reducing CO₂ emissions and air pollutants, whilst enhancing the logistical competitiveness of our sites.