Food and beverage logistics for manufacturers and distributors
What it is
Food logistics runs on code dates and dock appointments
Food and beverage logistics, or food logistics for short, is the planning and transportation of ingredients, packaging and finished food and beverage products between manufacturers, co-packers, distributors and grocery and retail distribution centers. Much of it is packaged, shelf-stable freight that moves by truckload or LTL, on delivery appointments the receiver sets.
Summit Link arranges it through carrier partners, and the team that quotes a load stays on it until the invoice.
The dock sets the appointment
Grocery and distributor receivers book tight delivery windows. Miss one and the truck can wait for hours or roll to another day, and many receivers score every late or short delivery.
Every day ages the product
Code dates and shelf life keep counting while freight sits. A load held at the door or turned away costs sellable days, not just a delivery.
Heavy before full
Canned goods and beverages reach the legal weight limit long before they fill a trailer, so pallet counts and weight shape the load plan from the start.
Seasonal peaks, thin margins
Summer drinks and the holiday season push volume up just as trucks get harder to find, and thin margins leave little room for detention or rework.
| What moves | Packaged and shelf-stable food, beverages, ingredients and packaging, plus chilled and frozen products. |
|---|---|
| Who ships it | Food and beverage manufacturers, co-packers and distributors. |
| Typical equipment | Dry vans by full truckload or LTL, and refrigerated trailers for chilled and frozen products. |
| What sets the schedule | Delivery appointments at grocery, retail and distributor docks, and the code dates on the product. |
| How quotes work | Lane by lane, with pallet count, weight and receiver requirements up front. |
Before pickup
What we settle before a food load ships
The trailer standard, in writing
Clean, dry, free of odors, in good repair and no incompatible prior loads. You set the requirements, and we pass them to the carrier partner before the truck is dispatched.
Weight, and the weather
We plan pallet count and weight up front, so a heavy load is worked out on paper, not at the first scale. In winter, we ask whether the product can freeze before it ships in a van.
Appointments and paperwork
Delivery appointments, unloading and lumper details, seal numbers, and the lot and code-date paperwork you supply go with the load, so the receiving dock gets what it expects.
Early word when plans change
Updates at pickup, in transit and at delivery. If an appointment is at risk, you hear it from us first, with options.
The freight
Food and beverage transportation, product by product
| Segment | What moves | Typical equipment | What to tell us |
|---|---|---|---|
| Packaged and shelf‑stable food | Canned, boxed and dry goods, snacks, cereals and baking goods | Dry van, by full truckload or LTL | Pallet count, weight, and the receiver's appointment and paperwork rules |
| Beverages | Bottled and canned water, soft drinks and other packaged drinks | Dry van, usually by full truckload | Total weight, since beverages hit the legal limit before the trailer is full |
| Ingredients | Flour, sugar, grains and other ingredients in bags, sacks and totes (not bulk tank or hopper loads), headed to plants | Dry van, by full truckload or LTL | The trailer standard the receiving plant requires |
| Packaging | Bottles, cans, film, labels and corrugated headed to food and beverage plants | Dry van, by full truckload or LTL | Pallet counts and dimensions, since empty containers fill a trailer long before they reach the weight limit |
| Chilled and frozen | Dairy, frozen foods and other products that need a set temperature range | Refrigerated trailer | The temperature range at quote, and anything beyond a set temperature, such as temperature records for the trip |
Equipment
Equipment for food and beverage freight
Where we are
Headquartered in a state that makes food and drink at scale
- Food and beverage facilities
- More than 430 facilities in Kentucky, employing over 58,000 people
- Recent growth
- More than 250 food and beverage projects announced from 2020 onward, about $9.2 billion in investment and nearly 10,000 jobs
- Bourbon
- 95% of the world's bourbon supply is made in Kentucky
Source: Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, Food and Beverage (opens in a new tab).
Where it moves
Lanes for food and beverage shippers
FAQ
Food and beverage logistics questions
What is food and beverage logistics?
Food and beverage logistics is the planning and transportation of ingredients, packaging and finished food and beverage products between manufacturers, co-packers, distributors and grocery and retail distribution centers. Much of it is packaged, shelf-stable freight that moves by truckload or LTL, on delivery appointments the receiver sets.
What does a food logistics company do?
A food logistics company plans and moves ingredients, packaging and finished products between plants, co-packers, distributors and grocery and retail distribution centers. Our food logistics services cover the transportation: we arrange truckload and LTL food freight through carrier partners and keep one team on each load from quote to invoice.
What is a food grade trailer?
A food grade trailer is one fit to carry food: clean, dry, free of odors, in good repair and free of residue from earlier loads that could contaminate the product. The shipper sets the exact requirements, and we pass them to the carrier partner with the load details.
Can beverages and packaged food ship in a dry van?
Yes. Most shelf-stable foods and sealed beverages move in dry vans. Canned goods and bottled drinks usually reach the weight limit, typically around 42,000 to 45,000 pounds of freight, before they fill the trailer, and liquids can freeze in an unheated van in winter, so tell us about both when you request a quote.
Do you ship refrigerated or frozen food?
We arrange refrigerated freight for chilled and frozen products. Tell us the temperature range and we match the load to a carrier partner equipped for it. If a product needs more than a set temperature, such as temperature records for the trip, tell us up front so we can be clear about what we can arrange.
Do you store food or handle fulfillment?
No. Summit Link is a freight brokerage focused on transportation: we arrange and manage truckload and LTL moves through carrier partners. We do not store product or provide fulfillment.
Freight Moves. Relationships Endure.
Plan your next food or beverage load with us.
A real person reviews every request. Call us at 502-463-3192 or email operations@summitlink.biz.