Many machines and vehicles are designed to be operated in every possible environment and climate around the world. This also includes operation in cold environments, such as frozen food processing or arctic climates with temperatures of up to −60 °C. The behaviour of radial shaft seals in sub zero conditions is not yet fully understood and investigated. However, the literature available on the topic suggests a significantly different behaviour of the seals at cold temperatures, especially at cold start conditions. Increased wear, incase of cold starts also an increased breakaway torque due to freezing of the seal lip and leackage due to limited followability of the rubber around and below the glass transition temperature against shaft displacements were reported. In this paper a test bench and automatic evaluation method for investigating the seals followability against such static and dynamic shaft displacements at temperatures of up to −40 °C is introduced. Measurements of the followability of seals made of two rubber materials against displacements with various amplitudes and frequencies at a wide sub zero temperature range are to be presented. Results show that the limits for shaft run-out given in various standards for radial shaft seals are too high at cold temperatures.