Reefer loads into Kroger: what it takes to get received

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

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

This guide is built from Kroger’s published supplier documents. Your PO, your vendor agreement and your buyer’s instructions come first. Kroger can change its rules, so check the date above.

1. Order, PO and routing

What Kroger requires

• Know who manages the freight. Kroger splits loads into “Vendor-managed” (you hire the carrier into the DC) and “Kroger-managed” (Kroger hires the carrier to pick up at your dock).^[1]
  • On vendor-managed loads, you or your carrier must book DC appointments with enough lead time to meet ORAD.
  • On Kroger-managed loads, you must give pickup appointments with enough lead time to meet ORAD, and have the product ready.^[1]
  • Kroger notes that many of its fees don’t apply when Kroger manages your inbound lanes.^[1]
• ORAD is the date that matters. “On-Time Delivery” means the PO is gated in at the Kroger DC on the ORAD. A load that arrives after midnight but still inside the DC’s receiving hours for the previous day counts as on time.^[1]
• The ORAD Compliance Fee is 3% of the invoiced amount on POs that are late because of vendor-caused issues, “including prior to and/or during pickup.”^[1]
  • Suppliers at 93% or better On-Time Delivery for the 4-week period are exempt for that period.
  • The threshold went from 90% to 93% on January 1, 2025.^[1]
• Collect loads follow Kroger’s routing. Not following Traffic Department routing instructions, or shipping collect when the order should be prepaid, is listed at $250 plus extra freight costs.^[1]
• Fresh dates need the buyer first. If you’re delivering fresh meat, floral or produce outside the due date, Kroger asks you to get a date change from your buyer before you try to schedule.^[2]

Where loads go wrong

• The pickup is planned from the ship date instead of backward from the ORAD. A normal transit then misses the gate-in date.
• A produce order slips a day, and someone tries to book the appointment before the buyer has changed the date.
• On a Kroger-managed pickup, the product isn’t ready when the truck arrives. The late PO is charged to you.^[1]

2. Scheduling the appointment

What Kroger requires

• One Network, every time. All appointments must be scheduled by the carrier or the vendor through Kroger’s One Network portal (now Blue Yonder Network).^[2][4]
• Scheduling desk hours: Monday–Friday, 7am–4:30pm CST.^[2]
• No same-day grocery appointments. Grocery appointments can’t be made within 24 hours of delivery.^[2]
• Fees tied to scheduling: “No Scheduled Delivery Appt” is $200 per shipment.^[1]

Where loads go wrong

• A truck breaks down Friday night. The scheduling desk is closed until Monday,^[2] and the new slot is past ORAD.
• The appointment was booked with the wrong load type or pallet count, so the DC plans the wrong door and labor.

3. Pickup at your dock

What Kroger requires

• Set points by commodity. Kroger publishes a “Reefer Suggested Set Point” for each produce commodity and says whether a temperature monitor is required.^[6] A few examples from that table:

Commodity	Suggested set point	Monitor required
Lettuce (all), bagged salads, berries, grapes	34°F	Yes
Cantaloupe, sweet corn	36°F	Yes
Peppers, cucumbers, citrus (lemons, limes, oranges)	50°F	Yes
Tomatoes, watermelons	55°F	Yes
Bananas	58°F	No
Potatoes, onions, sweet potatoes	50°F	No
Avocados, garlic	36°F	No

Source: Kroger Commodity Inbound Temperature Requirements.^[6] If your product spec or PO differs, follow it.

• DeltaTrak monitors on applicable produce. Kroger says DeltaTrak devices are mandatory on all applicable shipments. That includes entering the data in the DeltaTrak portal before the load ships to the DC.^[3][7] Kroger also says it requires continuous temperature monitoring for all produce shipments “from farm to final delivery.”^[3]
• Write down the temperature. Under FDA’s Sanitary Transportation rule, the shipper of temperature-controlled food must give the carrier the operating temperature in writing, including pre-cooling if needed. The carrier must pre-cool the trailer as specified.^[8]
• Run produce continuous. University of Florida’s reefer transport handbook says Continuous Run, not start-stop, should be used for fresh produce and chilled meat. It also says product should already be at or near its carrying temperature when it’s loaded.^[9]
• Pallets: 48×40 4-way entry pallets (Peyton regional sites: 48×40 full-entry block).
  • No pallet exchange. Kroger uses pooling such as CHEP. Otherwise, #1 Grade A pallets only.
  • Kroger can refuse pallets that don’t meet standards or require conversion at the vendor’s or carrier’s expense.^[1]
  • Damaged, poor-quality or incorrect pallets are $100 per pallet plus handling.^[1]
• Labels and ASN:
  • Each pallet gets an SSCC (GS1-128) label outside the shrink wrap. The label must be “temperature sensitive (to prevent smearing in freezing conditions)” and placed 16–32 inches from the base.^[1]
  • The EDI 856 ASN must be sent no later than 1 hour after the truck leaves your facility, and processed before it arrives.^[1]
• Paperwork fees:
  • No packing list, no BOL, no POs on the BOL, or BOL/packing list errors: $200 per shipment.
  • Case labeling errors: $500 per PO.
  • Short-dated or mixed dates on a pallet: $500 per PO plus handling.^[1]

Where loads go wrong

• The trailer shows up warm, or the set point on the display doesn’t match the load sheet, and nobody catches it before the doors close.
• The unit runs start-stop on a produce load that needs continuous air.^[9]
• The DeltaTrak unit is on the load but was never activated or entered in the portal.^[3]
• Labels smear in the cold, or the ASN goes late, so the load gets fined.^[1]

4. In transit

What Kroger requires

• Location every 15 minutes. Since May 1, 2025, in-scope POs must send location data to Kroger through One Network every 15 minutes.^[1]
  • In scope means any Kroger- or vendor-managed PO tendered through One Network or iTrade that’s over 10,000 lbs or 750 cube.^[1]
• Temperature every 15 minutes. Since November 1, 2025, in-scope POs must also send temperature data every 15 minutes.^[1] There are two exceptions:
  • Produce/floral and meat suppliers don’t have to send temperature data “due to the DeltaTrak project,” but they still have to send location.
  • Ambient loads don’t send temperature.^[1]
• The fee: $100 per PO (capped at $10,000) when fewer than 90% of POs send the data. Location and temperature are counted separately.^[1]
• Who can send it: the vendor, the carrier or the broker, per Kroger’s supplier/carrier webinar.^[5]
• Carrier duty under FSMA: if the shipper or receiver asks, the carrier must show it kept the load within the operating temperature.^[8]

Where loads go wrong

• The load moves fine but never pings One Network, so the PO counts against your 90%.
• A reefer alarm or temperature drift goes unnoticed for hours on a long produce run.

5. Arrival and receiving

What Kroger requires

• Be on time to the appointment. Arriving more than 30 minutes late (measured at gate-in) is $200 per shipment.^[1]
• Temperature at the door. Kroger says loads not within the required temperature range “may be subject to rejection upon delivery.”^[3]
• Load condition:
  • Freight shifted or damaged, or product overhanging the pallet: $500 per PO plus handling.
  • Pest, odor or hazmat spill: $500 per load plus handling.
  • Overage or wrong product: $500 per PO plus handling.^[1]
• Unloading. Kroger’s policy says unloading and ti-hi configuration follow Kroger’s specifications “at Vendor’s expense.”^[1] Ask your buyer or the DC how unloading charges are handled at your DC.
• Receiving and acceptance are Kroger’s call. The DC runs its own receiving process and decides whether the load is accepted.

Where loads go wrong

• The truck arrives on time but goes to the wrong gate, and gate-in happens 40 minutes late.
• Part of the load warmed up because air couldn’t circulate, and the whole load is at risk.
• A load is refused before dawn, and the shipper doesn’t hear about it until mid-morning.

6. After delivery: POD, fees, deductions and claims

What Kroger requires

• Fees come out of your invoices. Kroger deducts non-compliance amounts from outstanding invoices. If not deducted within 60 days, the vendor pays by check.^[1]
• ORAD exemption timing. The 93% exemption is assessed at the end of the current period for the prior 4-week period.^[1]
• Case fill. Kroger’s policy attaches a 3% fee to POs filled at less than 95%.^[1] The text says 3% “of the value of the missing items,” while the fee table says 3% “of PO value.” Ask Kroger vendor compliance which applies.
• Accessorials you caused come back to you. Vendor-driven accessorials, such as carrier detention or a truck ordered but not used, are charged back through invoice deductions, on top of any ORAD fee.^[1]
• Questions: Kroger lists vendorcompliance@kroger.com as the contact for its compliance program.^[1]
• Records: FSMA requires sanitary transportation records to be kept for 12 months beyond the use of the agreement or procedure.^[12]
• Carrier claims. If product is damaged in transit, a carrier can’t set less than 9 months to file a claim, or less than 2 years to sue after a written denial.^[10] A written claim needs to identify the shipment, assert liability and demand a specific or determinable amount.^[11]

Where loads go wrong

• A deduction shows up weeks later. No one kept the gate-in time, the appointment record or the lumper receipt, so there’s nothing to dispute it with.
• The POD comes back without the details you need, and a shortage dispute gets harder to support.

FAQ

Who books the delivery appointment on a Kroger vendor-managed load?

You or your carrier. Kroger says all appointments must be scheduled by the carrier or the vendor in One Network.^[1][2]

What is ORAD at Kroger?

ORAD is the Original Requested Arrival Date on the PO. Kroger counts a PO as on time if it’s gated in at the DC on the ORAD. Vendor-caused late POs can draw a 3% ORAD Compliance Fee unless you’re at 93% or better for the 4-week period.^[1]

Does Kroger require a temperature monitor on produce?

For applicable produce, yes. Kroger says DeltaTrak devices are mandatory, with data entered in the DeltaTrak portal before shipment. Its commodity table lists which items need a monitor.^[3][6]

What set point should I use for a Kroger produce load?

Kroger publishes a suggested reefer set point for each commodity. For example, it’s 34°F for lettuce and berries, 55°F for tomatoes and 58°F for bananas.^[6] Use your product spec and PO first, and give the temperature to the carrier in writing, as FDA’s Sanitary Transportation rule requires.^[8]

Does Kroger need tracking data from my truck?

Yes, on in-scope POs: location every 15 minutes through One Network. Temperature is also required every 15 minutes, except for produce/floral and meat suppliers (covered by DeltaTrak) and ambient loads. The fee applies when fewer than 90% of POs send the data.^[1] On the loads we run, our tracking feeds Kroger’s location updates.

What happens if my load is late to a Kroger DC?

Arriving more than 30 minutes late to the appointment is listed at $200 per shipment. If the PO also misses ORAD for vendor-caused reasons, the 3% ORAD Compliance Fee can apply.^[1]

What does Cyan do if a Kroger 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.^[8]
• Continuous run: use it for fresh produce and chilled meat.^[9]
• Claims: carriers must allow at least 9 months to file.^[10]

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

Related: Produce · Protein · Dairy · Frozen · How We Track · FAQ · Albertsons/Safeway playbook (also books through One Network) · All receiver playbooks

Sources

1. Kroger, Vendor Compliance Program Updates and “Kroger Policies” (Appendix A/B), Dec 2, 2024. https://kroger.onenetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/1-VNC-Program-Updates%5Ffinal%5Fsigned.pdf
2. Kroger, Logistics (vendor/supplier page). https://www.thekrogerco.com/vendor-suppliers/logistics/
3. Kroger, “Cold Chain Management – Temperature Monitoring,” Apr 22, 2025. https://www.thekrogerco.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Inbound-Temperature-Requirements.pdf
4. Kroger Blue Yonder Network (formerly One Network) portal. https://kroger.onenetwork.com/
5. Kroger Supplier/Carrier Webinar, Aug 2024. https://kroger.onenetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Kroger-Supplier-Carrier-Webinar-Aug-2024-1.pdf
6. Kroger, Commodity Inbound Temperature Requirements. https://www.thekrogerco.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Commodity-Inbound-Temperature-Requirements.pdf
7. Kroger DeltaTrak Portal. https://kroger.deltatrak.com/
8. 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
9. University of Florida IFAS, HS1328 “Protecting Perishable Foods During Transport by Truck or Rail.” https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/HS1328
10. 49 U.S.C. 14706(e). https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title49-section14706&num=0&edition=prelim
11. 49 CFR 370.3. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-III/subchapter-B/part-370
12. 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

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