Do you offer temperature-controlled supplement shipping?

Temperature-controlled service is available through our carrier network, quoted case by case. Send the product's storage range, pallet details and lane, and we tell you whether it fits.

Can you book the retail DC appointment?

The carrier requests the appointment and the DC sets the time. We pass along the rules you send and cannot guarantee a slot.

Will you follow my retailer's routing guide?

Send the routing guide with the quote request. Your team builds and labels the pallets, and we check the carrier requirements before booking.

Where do lot codes go?

On the bill of lading, the pallet labels and the packing list, in the format the receiver asks for.

Supplement Freight Shipping

At a glance

Supplements usually move at ambient temperature in a dry van, and temperature-controlled service is available through our carrier network, quoted case by case, so ask us before summer shipping.
Retail distribution centers set their own appointment, pallet and labeling rules, and the shipper supplies those rules with the quote request.
Lot codes on the bill of lading and the pallet labels let the receiver match every case to its production batch.

How is supplement freight shipping classed?

Supplement freight shipping is classed by the NMFC item for the product, and many packaged health products use the 13-tier density scale from NMFTA Docket 2025-1, effective July 19, 2025. Some items keep a commodity class. Lane, weight, accessorials and fuel shape the rate as well.

Cased capsule bottles hold air in each bottle and in the case, while tubs of powder pack heavier. The density scale and worked example on this page follow a pallet of cased bottles.

Freight class by density (lb per cubic foot)

0 to 1 lb/ft³Class 400
1 to 2 lb/ft³Class 300
2 to 4 lb/ft³Class 250
4 to 6 lb/ft³Class 175
6 to 8 lb/ft³Class 125
8 to 10 lb/ft³Class 100
10 to 12 lb/ft³Class 92.5
12 to 15 lb/ft³Class 85 example below
15 to 22.5 lb/ft³Class 70
22.5 to 30 lb/ft³Class 65
30 to 35 lb/ft³Class 60
35 to 50 lb/ft³Class 55
50 or more lb/ft³Class 50

Denser freight lands in a lower class, the basis for a lower rate. Source: NMFTA Docket 2025-1, 13-tier density scale, effective July 19, 2025. The scale applies to items the NMFC classes by density; some items keep a commodity class, so confirm the NMFC item for your product.

Worked example: a pallet of cased supplement bottles

Measure the loaded pallet, pallet included: 48 × 40 × 54 inches = 103,680 cubic inches.
Convert to cubic feet: 103,680 ÷ 1,728 = 60 cubic feet.
Divide the weight by the cubic feet: 750 lb ÷ 60 = 12.5 lb per cubic foot.
Read the class off the density scale: 12.5 lb per cubic foot falls in class 85.

Run your own pallet through the freight class calculator, or read how freight class works.

Illustrative numbers, not a quote or a class ruling. Class depends on the NMFC item for the product; the scale is NMFTA Docket 2025-1, 13-tier density scale, effective July 19, 2025.

What do retail distribution centers require for supplements?

Retail distribution centers require a delivery appointment, pallets built to their height and label rules, and paperwork that matches the purchase order. Send the retailer's routing guide or vendor manual with the quote request so the carrier knows the receiving rules.

The carrier requests the appointment and the DC sets the time, so GET Express cannot guarantee a slot or confirm routing-guide compliance for you. Your team builds and labels the pallets to the retailer's rules before pickup.

How do you protect supplements from summer heat?

Supplements usually travel in standard dry van trailers, which get hot in summer. Temperature-controlled service is available through our carrier network, quoted case by case: send the storage range and lane, and we tell you whether it fits. Check the product's storage range with the manufacturer before booking warm-weather freight.

A pickup late in the week can leave freight sitting in a terminal over the weekend. Compare the carrier's transit estimate with the calendar and pick a ship day that keeps the freight moving.

What paperwork travels with supplement shipments?

Supplement shipments travel with a bill of lading that lists the PO number and lot codes, plus pallet labels in the retailer's format. A missing or mismatched lot code can hold the freight at receiving.

Keep one SKU or lot per pallet where the retailer asks for it. Send the case count per pallet, since receivers check counts against the advance ship notice.

Which service fits: LTL, volume LTL, partial or full truckload?

Standard LTL fits most palletized shipments that can share a trailer; volume LTL, partial truckload and full truckload fit larger loads or loads that need their own truck. Price the same shipment details across the four services, and confirm the points in the table before you book.

Service	Fits	Confirm before booking
Standard LTL	Palletized freight that shares a trailer and moves through carrier terminals	NMFC item and class, pickup and delivery accessorials, delivery appointment
Volume LTL	Larger LTL shipments quoted as a one-off price for that shipment	Quote terms, space the freight takes, whether it still moves through terminals
Partial truckload	Shipments that share a truck with a few others	Whether the freight stays on one trailer, any planned transfers, transit estimate
Full truckload	Freight that fills a trailer, reaches its weight limit, or needs its own truck	Trailer type, loading and unloading time, appointments at both ends

Which service fits a supplement shipment to a fulfillment center?

Supplement shipments to a fulfillment center usually move as standard LTL or volume LTL, and a full load of pallets can move as partial or full truckload. Compare the options on your pallet count, dimensions, weight, stackability and lane.

Fulfillment centers and retail DCs usually receive at a dock. A residential or small-business receiver without a dock may need a liftgate, so send the heaviest and longest pallet for the carrier to confirm. Final mile and inside delivery are available through our carrier network, quoted case by case, and any assembly or setup stays with the receiver or their contractor.

What do you send for a nutritional supplements freight quote?

A nutritional supplements freight quote needs the 8 details below. Complete details let the carrier rate the shipment once, without a reweigh or reclass after pickup.

Product form: capsule bottles, powder tubs or pouches
Case count and cases per pallet
Pallet dimensions with the pallet included
Gross weight of each pallet
Lot codes and PO numbers
Retailer routing guide or vendor manual
Storage temperature range from the manufacturer
Receiver type: fulfillment center or retail distribution center

What do the freight terms on this page mean?

Routing guide: A retailer's rules for how suppliers ship to its distribution centers, covering carriers, labels and appointments.
Lot code: A code printed on each package that ties it to its production batch.
Advance ship notice (ASN): An electronic notice a supplier sends a retailer listing what is on the way before it arrives.
Dry van: An enclosed trailer with no heating or cooling.

Supplement freight shipping