Reefer loads into Costco: what it takes to get received

By Todd Cunningham · Last verified September 26, 2026 · Sources at the bottom

Quick answer: Costco depot and DDC appointments are booked online at appointments.cwtraffic.com at least two business days ahead. The appointment type (palletized or floor load) has to be right, or the load can be refused.[1] Only the user who made an appointment can reschedule or cancel it.[2] Refrigerated pallets can be up to 48 inches high including the pallet.[1] Freight chargebacks come out of future payables, and you dispute them in the Vendor Accounting Portal.[1]

Reefer is all we do. We run your loads into Costco from PO to POD, and someone’s on it 24/7/365.

Most Costco facts on this page come from Costco’s U.S. Routing Guide (© July 6, 2026, Costco NLC Traffic). We found it as a copy posted on a third-party site. Get the original from Costco’s supplier hub (hub.costco.com) and check your PO and buyer’s instructions. Costco can change its rules, so check the date above.

1. Order, PO and routing

What Costco requires

  • Read the carrier field on the PO.[1]
    • “VENDORS CHOICE” means a prepaid order.
    • A carrier name means a collect order with a carrier Costco assigned.
    • “CALL TRAFFIC” means a collect order with no carrier assigned yet. You email a completed Costco Routing Request to Regional Traffic.
  • Refrigerated collect loads get verified. Collect shipments that need special equipment, including refrigerated or keep-from-freezing trailers, must be verified with Costco’s Traffic Department regardless of the routing on the PO.[1]
  • Shipper Load and Count. All Costco orders are “Shipper Load and Count.” The supplier is responsible for packing and loading the order properly, including any blocking and bracing.[1]
  • Hit the right date. On collect orders, requested ship dates must be met. On prepaid orders, requested arrival dates must be met.[1]
  • Back orders and split shipments need a Costco buyer’s authorization before shipping. Extra freight charges they cause are charged to the supplier.[1]
  • Backhaul option. Costco offers a Backhaul Program under collect or prepaid terms. It can include drop trailers and Costco taking over appointment scheduling.[1]

Where loads go wrong

  • A refrigerated collect load ships on the routing printed on the PO without checking with Traffic.[1]
  • A prepaid load leaves on time but misses the requested arrival date.

How Cyan handles this

  • We start with one lane and learn how it really runs before we quote it. That covers freight terms, the requested arrival date, receiving hours and dwell rules.
  • Pickup gets planned backward from the requested arrival date.
  • We check the origin against our weekly Market Intel, so you know if trucks are tight where you ship from.

2. Scheduling the appointment

What Costco requires

  • Two business days ahead. All Costco locations require delivery appointments at least two business days before the planned delivery.[1]
  • Depots and DDCs book online at appointments.cwtraffic.com. Warehouses (stores) are booked by calling or emailing the warehouse.[1]
  • Pick the right appointment type.[1]
    • “Palletized” means the entire load is on pallets.
    • “Floor load” means the load is floor-loaded, or a mix of floor-loaded and palletized.
    • The wrong type results in load refusals and may add handling costs paid by the supplier.

Where loads go wrong

  • The appointment is booked as palletized, but part of the load is floor-stacked.[1]

How Cyan handles this

  • We deliver to the appointment and keep the receiver updated if anything changes.

3. Pickup at your dock

What Costco requires

  • Refrigerated pallet height. Refrigerated loads should be as close to 48 inches high as possible without going over, including the pallet.[1]
  • Pallets. Costco requires quality 4-way block pallets.[1]
    • Shipments on pallets that don’t meet Costco’s specifications will be refused.
    • Suppliers on unapproved or broken pallets are charged for labor and materials to repalletize, rework or redeliver the load.
  • Secure the load. Product must be secured to the pallet with stretch film or strapping to prevent movement. Unsecured product is charged back for all costs to secure, rework or return it.[1]
  • Load orientation. On palletized full truckloads, pallets are turned so the 48-inch side runs across the width of the trailer.[1]
  • Free time at loading. Collect shipments get two hours of free time at loading, starting at the loading appointment time (or on arrival at first-come, first-served shippers). Detention after that is charged back to the supplier.[1]
  • Write down the temperature. Under FDA’s Sanitary Transportation rule, the shipper must give the carrier the operating temperature in writing, including pre-cooling. The carrier must pre-cool the trailer as specified.[3]
  • Run produce continuous. University of Florida’s reefer transport handbook says to use Continuous Run for fresh produce and chilled meat. It also says product should already be at or near its carrying temperature when loaded.[4]
  • Temperature specs. We didn’t find a public Costco document with U.S. depot temperature or recorder requirements. Get them from your buyer or your Costco item specs.

Where loads go wrong

  • Reefer pallets are built taller than 48 inches, or on stringer pallets instead of block pallets.[1]
  • A collect pickup runs past two hours because the product isn’t ready, and the detention comes back to you.[1]

How Cyan handles this

  • Temp rules agreed up front: set point, pulp or continuous-run rules and precool are agreed before a truck is assigned.
  • Before-dispatch check: we verify the trailer is right for the load, the unit is precooled, the set point matches the commodity, and the carrier understands the temperature requirements.
  • Carrier check: safety, insurance and reefer history. We don’t use Conditional-rated carriers.
  • Proof from every pickup: on every load, pulp temps and the seal number go on the BOL, and we get a photo of the reefer display before the truck leaves.

24/7/365 in practice

If the truck checks in at 1 AM with a warm box or the wrong set point, someone at Cyan answers. We get it fixed before the load goes on, or we swap the truck.

Shipping into Costco? Get a lane review. Send us one lane. We’ll walk it stage by stage (appointment, temp, paperwork) and tell you where it could break. No rate pitch. Grab 30 minutes with Alex or check your lane.

4. In transit

What Costco requires

  • CW Traffic Fast Pass app. Costco’s CW Traffic mobile app offers real-time load tracking and early appointment opportunities. The driver starts it at pickup using the PO and appointment confirmation number.[1]
  • Carrier duty under FSMA: if the shipper or receiver asks, the carrier must show it kept the load within the operating temperature.[3]

Where loads go wrong

  • The driver never gets the app login from dispatch, so check-in at the depot is slower.[1]
  • Temperature drift or an alarm goes unnoticed overnight.

How Cyan handles this

  • Tracking with a person on it: GPS and reefer-status data from our tracking partners. When a ping goes stale, someone chases it.
  • Exception playbook: when a temperature reading, ETA, route or appointment moves outside plan, we contact the carrier, confirm the facts, coordinate recovery and keep you informed.
  • Breakdowns: backup carriers, cold storage partners or a reroute, with you kept posted.

24/7/365 in practice

It’s 3 AM and the reefer alarms. We call the driver and confirm the reading. Then we decide on repair, reroute or transload, line up the backup, and tell you before your team is in.

5. Arrival and receiving

What Costco requires

  • Trailer types. Trailers must lock securely to Costco’s docks and have ICC bars or rear impact guards. Trailers that don’t comply will be refused.[1] Costco doesn’t allow:
    • Trucks or trailers that aren’t dock height, or have lift gates
    • Trailers with rollers in the floor, or interior shelving
    • Soft-sided or curtain trailers, and retail-branded trailers
    • Flatbeds, cargo vans, and box or straight trucks
  • Check-in. With the Fast Pass app, a QR code handles check-in and check-out at the guard booth, and the app gives an electronic proof of delivery at checkout.[1]
  • Refusals and load shift. Costco handles merchandise refusals and load shift in transit under its Standard Terms Agreement (Section 10: Rejection; Product Return).[1]
  • Receiving and acceptance are Costco’s call. The depot runs its own receiving process and decides whether the load is accepted.

Where loads go wrong

  • The carrier sends a trailer type Costco doesn’t allow, and the load is refused at the gate.[1]
  • A load is refused before dawn, and the shipper hears about it hours later.

How Cyan handles this

  • Right equipment: we match the trailer to Costco’s dock and safety rules before we dispatch.
  • If Costco refuses the load: we handle what comes next and keep you posted the whole way.
  • We pull the reefer unit’s temperature record for the trip and send it to you.

24/7/365 in practice

Costco depots receive early. If your load is refused at 4 AM, Cyan picks up. We start working the problem right then, so you have a plan before your team is in.

6. After delivery: POD, chargebacks and claims

What Costco requires

  • Freight chargebacks come out of future payables. Each one uses the Costco PO number with a prefix as the invoice number.[1]
    • FDxxx: freight costs for returning merchandise
    • F00xxx: freight accessorials, such as layovers or trucks ordered but not used (TONU)
    • RDxxx: pallets that don’t meet Costco’s requirements, repalletizing, or freight not secured to the pallet
  • Disputes. If you disagree with a deduction, file a Vendor Services Freight Claim on the Vendor Accounting Portal (hub.costco.com).[1]
  • Short-received POs. The freight charges tied to the missing merchandise are charged back to the supplier.[1]
  • Origin detention. Costco pays carrier detention invoices when the carrier provides supporting documentation. A Vendor Services Freight Claim on detention can only be filed with written proof that the charges are wrong. Costco highly recommends loading appointments with in and out timestamps.[1]
  • Records: FSMA requires sanitary transportation records to be kept for 12 months beyond the use of the agreement or procedure.[5]
  • Carrier claims. A carrier can’t set less than 9 months to file a cargo claim.[6] A written claim must identify the shipment, assert liability and demand a specific or determinable amount.[7]

Where loads go wrong

  • A detention chargeback arrives, and there are no in and out timestamps to dispute it with.[1]

How Cyan handles this

  • Your documents come back to you: we return the POD and lumper receipts on every load.
  • Deductions: when Costco charges back for something on a load we ran, we help you fight it with the appointment record, arrival and departure times and pickup proof (pulp temps, seal number, reefer display photo).
  • Closing out: delivery confirmation and a closed-loop handoff, with chain-of-custody documentation from pickup through delivery.
  • If there’s a cargo claim, we help file it with the carrier under D&L Transport’s claims process.

FAQ

How far ahead do I book a Costco depot appointment?

At least two business days before the planned delivery, online at appointments.cwtraffic.com for depots and DDCs.[1]

How tall can reefer pallets be for Costco?

As close to 48 inches as possible without going over, including the pallet, on quality 4-way block pallets.[1]

How do I dispute a Costco freight chargeback?

File a Vendor Services Freight Claim on Costco’s Vendor Accounting Portal.[1]

What does Cyan do if a Costco load has a problem at night?

We answer. Cyan covers loads 24/7/365. A reefer alarm, a breakdown or a refused load gets worked when it happens, whether that means a backup truck, cold storage or finding the load a new home. You hear it from us first.

Rules that apply at every receiver

  • FSMA: give the carrier the operating temperature in writing, including pre-cooling.[3]
  • Continuous run: use it for fresh produce and chilled meat.[4]
  • Claims: carriers must allow at least 9 months to file.[6]

The full stage-by-stage list is in our free Reefer Receiver Readiness Checklist.

Related: Produce · Protein · Dairy · Frozen · How We Track · FAQ · Walmart playbook · All receiver playbooks

Know where your Costco lane could break before it costs you a load.

Seven quick questions about one lane, with a plain-English result right away. Check your lane.

Rather just talk? Grab 30 minutes with Alex · (909) 972-1006 · 24/7/365

Sources

  1. Costco Wholesale, “U.S. Routing Guide,” © July 6, 2026, NLC Traffic (copy posted on a third-party site; the original is on hub.costco.com). https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/d99a66c8-fff6-4429-8692-7911b044aa8b/US%20Routing%20Guide%20-%2007.06.26.pdf
  2. Costco Appointment System, Registration Details (CW Traffic). https://appointments.cwtraffic.com/apex/tmsappt/r/files/static/v167Y/Costco%20Appointment%20System%20-%20Registration%20Details.pdf
  3. 21 CFR 1.908, Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food (FDA). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-1/subpart-O/subject-group-ECFRe79dfa68f350fd3/section-1.908
  4. University of Florida IFAS, HS1328 “Protecting Perishable Foods During Transport by Truck or Rail.” https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/HS1328
  5. 21 CFR 1.912, records under the Sanitary Transportation rule. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-1/subpart-O/subject-group-ECFRaa3787a56167350
  6. 49 U.S.C. 14706(e). https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title49-section14706&num=0&edition=prelim
  7. 49 CFR 370.3. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-III/subchapter-B/part-370

Cyan Logistics is a freight broker and authorized agent of D&L Transport (MC#512099). This page summarizes public documents about Costco’s routing rules and federal rules. It is not Costco guidance or legal advice.