Food & Beverage Logistics

Food and beverage logistics covers every supply chain activity involved in moving consumable products from production facilities to distribution centers, retail stores, restaurants, or directly to consumers. It spans dry grocery, refrigerated, and frozen categories and must account for constraints that general freight doesn't face: expiration dates, lot traceability, FDA and FSMA regulations, temperature integrity, and retailer-specific delivery requirements like OTIF penalties.

What makes F&B logistics operationally distinct is the number of variables that compound on every shipment. Load building must account for product stackability and weight limits that differ by SKU. Carrier selection must factor in reefer capability, transit time relative to shelf life, and the carrier's track record with temperature-sensitive freight. Dock scheduling at receiving facilities is often rigid – miss your appointment window at a major retailer and you're looking at chargebacks, refused loads, or detention fees.

The margin pressure in food and beverage makes freight cost optimization essential rather than optional. Product margins are thin, fuel and reefer surcharges add up fast, and the cost of a rejected or spoiled load often exceeds the freight cost itself. Shippers in this space need granular visibility into spend by lane, carrier, and product category – and the ability to act on that data through smarter consolidation, routing, and carrier negotiation.

F&B shippers also face growing complexity from the rise of direct-to-consumer channels, subscription models, and omnichannel fulfillment – all of which layer additional shipping modes and customer expectations on top of traditional retail distribution.