Reefer Receiver Readiness Checklist: PO to POD

Cyan Logistics · Delivering Peace of Mind · By Todd Cunningham · Last verified September 26, 2026

This is the list we use to think through a reefer load into a grocery DC, one stage at a time. Keep it open while you book. Each receiver has its own rules, so check your PO, your vendor agreement and the receiver’s current guide. Our receiver playbooks cite those guides.

Cyan covers loads 24/7/365. The ☾ items are where round-the-clock coverage matters most.

1. Order, PO and routing

  • ☐ Freight terms confirmed: prepaid (you manage the carrier) or collect (the receiver manages it). On collect loads, follow the receiver’s routing exactly.
    • Kroger: not following collect routing is listed at $250 plus freight.[1]
    • Albertsons: COLLECT needs prior authorization, or it’s billed back.[5]
  • ☐ Must-arrive date written down.
    • Kroger: ORAD, the date the PO must be gated in.[1]
    • Walmart: MABD, the Must Arrive By Date.[8]
    • Albertsons: RAD, the Requested Arrival Date, which goes on every BOL.[5]
  • ☐ Lead time checked. Transit plus the DC’s receiving hours has to leave room to hit that date. Plan the pickup backward from the delivery date.
  • ☐ Product spec in hand: set point, pulp temp range, continuous or start-stop, and mixed-temp limits.
  • ☐ Fresh date changes cleared with the buyer before scheduling.
    • Kroger: required for fresh meat, floral and produce delivered outside the due date.[2]
  • ☐ Carrier has the receiver’s transport rules.
    • Publix: suppliers must give carriers Publix’s Product Transportation Specifications.[7]

2. Scheduling the appointment

  • ☐ Booked in the receiver’s system.
    • Kroger: One Network (Blue Yonder).[1][2]
    • Albertsons: One Network.[5][6]
    • Costco depots/DDCs: appointments.cwtraffic.com.[9]
  • ☐ Booking data ready: PO, delivery address, carrier, cases, weight, pallets, cube and load type.
    • Kroger: the full list is in its policy.[1]
  • ☐ Booking cutoffs checked.
    • Kroger: no grocery appointments within 24 hours of delivery, and the scheduling desk works weekdays only.[2]
    • Albertsons: schedule POs within 24–48 hours of receipt.[6]
    • Costco: book at least two business days ahead.[9]
  • ☐ Right appointment type.
    • Costco: palletized vs floor load. The wrong type can mean a refused load.[9]
  • ☐ ☾ Weekend/holiday backup plan. Know what happens if the truck fails Friday night or before a holiday.

3. Pickup at the shipper

  • ☐ Operating temperature given to the carrier in writing, including pre-cooling. This is the shipper’s duty under FSMA’s Sanitary Transportation rule.[3]
  • ☐ Trailer precooled as specified before loading.[3]
  • ☐ Product at or near its carrying temperature when loaded. Reefer units generally aren’t built to pull field heat out of product.[4]
  • ☐ Continuous run for fresh produce and chilled meat.[4]
  • ☐ Set point on the reefer display matches the load sheet.
    • Kroger: see its commodity set point table.[11]
  • ☐ Pulp temps taken and written on the BOL, with the seal number.
    • Albertsons: seal required on truckloads, with the seal number on the BOL.[5]
  • ☐ Photo of the reefer display taken before the truck leaves.
  • ☐ Temperature monitor or recorder activated, placed and linked, where the receiver requires one.
    • Kroger: DeltaTrak on applicable produce, entered in the portal before shipment.[10]
    • Walmart: Emerson GO wireless recorder linked to the PO, on the face of a pallet, not on the wall.[12]
  • ☐ Pallets meet spec.
    • Kroger: 48×40, CHEP or #1 Grade A, no exchange.[1]
    • Albertsons: CHEP, PECO, iGPS or Grade A 48×40.[13]
    • Costco: 4-way block pallets, with reefer pallets no taller than 48 inches including the pallet.[9]
  • ☐ Load is stable, with airflow left open. No overhang.
  • ☐ Pallet labels placed right, and they won’t smear in the cold.
    • Kroger: temperature-sensitive SSCC labels, 16–32 inches from the base.[1]
  • ☐ ASN (EDI 856) sent on time.
    • Kroger: within 1 hour of departure.[1]
  • ☐ BOL and packing list complete, with all POs listed.
    • Kroger: $200 per shipment for missing or incorrect paperwork.[1]
    • Publix: bulk products need the country of origin on the BOL.[7]
  • ☐ ☾ Overnight pickup covered. If the truck arrives at 1 AM with a warm box or the wrong set point, someone can fix it or swap the truck before loading.

4. In transit

  • ☐ Tracking is live, and someone owns stale pings.
  • ☐ The receiver’s data feeds are running where required.
    • Kroger: location every 15 minutes via One Network on in-scope POs (over 10,000 lbs or 750 cube). Temperature is also required every 15 minutes, except for produce/floral/meat (covered by DeltaTrak) and ambient loads.[1]
  • ☐ Carrier can produce its temperature records if asked.
    • Publix: may request unit data, logger records or driver entries from the carrier.[7]
  • ☐ Exception triggers agreed for temperature drift, an ETA slipping past the appointment, and reroutes.
  • ☐ Breakdown plan ready: backup carrier, cold storage, reroute.
  • ☐ ☾ Night alarms answered. A reefer alarm at 3 AM gets worked right then: confirm the reading, then repair, reroute or transload.

5. Arrival and receiving

  • ☐ Driver has the right gate, door and check-in instructions for the DC.
  • ☐ Receiver kept updated if anything changes on the way to the appointment.
    • Kroger: $200 for more than 30 minutes late to gate-in.[1]
  • ☐ Trailer type allowed at the DC.
    • Costco: no lift gates, curtain-sides, non-dock-height equipment and more.[9]
  • ☐ Unloading/lumper arrangement known before arrival. Get a receipt.
    • Albertsons: driver-unload DCs. Not hiring an unloading service may draw a compliance fine.[5]
  • ☐ Pickup proof on file: pulp temps, seal number and reefer display photo.
  • ☐ Know the receiver’s temperature rules. The receiver runs its own receiving and decides on acceptance.
    • Kroger: out-of-range loads may be rejected.[10]
    • Publix: may reject the entire load on evidence of temperature abuse.[7]
  • ☐ Refusal plan ready: what happens next, and who tells the shipper.
  • ☐ ☾ Early-morning receiving covered. Many DCs receive before dawn. A 4 AM refusal gets worked while the truck is still at the door, not after a 9 AM voicemail.

6. After delivery

  • ☐ POD collected, with any shortages or damage noted.
  • ☐ Lumper receipt, appointment time and gate-in time filed with the load.
  • ☐ Temperature and transport records saved. FSMA’s Sanitary Transportation rule requires records to be kept for 12 months beyond the use of the agreement or procedure.[14]
  • ☐ Deductions checked against your records.
    • Kroger: fees are deducted from invoices. If not deducted within 60 days, you pay by check.[1]
    • Costco: chargebacks are coded FD/F00/RD and disputed in the Vendor Accounting Portal.[9]
  • ☐ Compliance scores tracked.
    • Kroger: the 93% ORAD exemption is scored per 4-week period.[1]
  • ☐ Claims filed in time and in writing.
    • Carriers must allow at least 9 months to file.[15]
    • The claim must identify the shipment, assert liability and state an amount.[16]

Want a second set of eyes on one lane?

Shipping into a grocery DC? Get a lane review. Send us one lane. We’ll go through this list with you and tell you where it could break. Grab 30 minutes with Alex · (909) 972-1006 · 24/7/365

Or answer seven quick questions: check your lane.

Sources

  1. Kroger, Vendor Compliance Program Updates and “Kroger Policies,” 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. 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. Albertsons Companies & Safeway, “Inbound Routing Requirements” (AlbertsonsNet). https://suppliers.safeway.com/pages/RoutingGuidelines.htm
  6. AlbertsonsNet: Appointment Scheduling FAQ, scheduling tutorial and Daily Traffic Contacts. https://suppliers.safeway.com/docs/AppointmentScheduling_FAQ.pdf · https://suppliers.safeway.com/traffic/DeliveryApptSchedulingTutorial.pdf · https://suppliers.safeway.com/pages/DailyTrafficContacts.htm
  7. Publix, “Supplier Policies & Guidelines,” publication date 07/24/2026. https://corporate.publix.com/business/publix-business-connection/retail-product-supplier/-/media/7277D76BEE3E4DC4B83A6F7BB298EB95.ashx
  8. SPS Commerce, “OTIF – How to Meet Delivery Appointments” (third-party). https://www.spscommerce.com/community/articles/otif-how-to-meet-delivery-appointments
  9. Costco Wholesale, “U.S. Routing Guide,” © July 6, 2026 (copy posted on a third-party site). https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/d99a66c8-fff6-4429-8692-7911b044aa8b/US%20Routing%20Guide%20-%2007.06.26.pdf
  10. Kroger, “Cold Chain Management – Temperature Monitoring,” Apr 22, 2025. https://www.thekrogerco.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Inbound-Temperature-Requirements.pdf
  11. Kroger, Commodity Inbound Temperature Requirements. https://www.thekrogerco.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Commodity-Inbound-Temperature-Requirements.pdf
  12. Walmart, “Cold Chain Compliance Requirements” (© 2023 Walmart; copy posted by a supplier). https://www.classicharvest.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/WMTempTales.pdf
  13. AlbertsonsNet, Pallet Policy. https://suppliers.safeway.com/docs/Pallet_Policy.pdf
  14. 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
  15. 49 U.S.C. 14706(e). https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title49-section14706&num=0&edition=prelim
  16. 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 checklist is general guidance, not legal advice. Receiver rules change, so check each receiver’s current documents.