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Food and temperature · how to ship

How to ship beverages

The right mode, how to prepare it, what drives the price and the mistakes that cost money. Best modes: LTL, Dry van truckload, Reefer.

Short answer: Canned and bottled beverages are heavy: a truckload reaches the legal weight limit with floor space left over, and LTL pricing is driven by weight. Ship pallets by LTL, full loads by dry van, and use a heated or reefer service in winter for anything that can freeze. Alcohol needs licensed shippers and receivers.

Updated November 3, 2026 · By the GetShippingRates team at Armstrong Transport Group

Step by step

Preparing beverages for shipping

  1. Stretch-wrap pallets tightly; liquid loads shift.
  2. Use tier sheets between layers.
  3. Weigh pallets: beverages often hit 2,000 lb or more each.
  4. Ask for protect-from-freeze service in winter.
  5. Confirm licensing for alcohol at both ends.
Cost

What drives the price

  • Weight
  • Protect-from-freeze or reefer service in winter
  • Appointments at distribution centers
  • Alcohol licensing and state rules

Freight class: Packaged beverages are dense and commonly estimate at class 55 to 65. Check yours with the free freight calculators; the carrier’s NMFC item sets the final class.

For real prices see pallet shipping cost, the freight rate index and reefer shipping cost.

Avoid these

Mistakes that cost money

  • Overloading a truckload past legal weight.
  • Shipping in a dry van through freezing weather.
  • Loose shrink-wrap and shifting cases.

More food and temperature guides

Frequently asked questions

How do I keep beverages from freezing in transit?

Book protect-from-freeze service or a reefer set above freezing for winter lanes.

How many pallets of beverages fit in a truck?

Weight usually limits it to about 18 to 22 pallets, below the 26 to 30 floor positions.

Can I ship alcohol by freight?

Yes, between licensed businesses, following state rules. Declare it when you quote.

More shipping cost guides

  • Shipping cost calculator — Billable weight for parcel, LTL, truckload, air and ocean, the mode that fits, and a dated LTL price range.
  • Pallet shipping cost — What 1 to 12 pallets cost to ship by LTL, by distance, from 97,000+ real shipments.
  • Freight shipping rates — How each mode is priced, and LTL price per 100 lb by weight and distance from real shipments.
  • LTL vs truckload — Where LTL stops making sense: pallet counts, weight, linear feet and transit, with real LTL prices.
  • Air freight rates — How air cargo is priced: chargeable weight, weight breaks, surcharges and door-to-door charges.
  • Ocean freight rates — FCL vs LCL, container sizes, revenue tons and every charge on an ocean freight quote.
  • Freight rate index — Median all-in truckload price per mile by equipment, distance and city, from hundreds of priced lanes.
  • Reefer shipping cost — What refrigerated LTL and reefer truckloads cost, from real quotes on 16 lanes.
  • White glove delivery cost — Curbside to white glove with assembly: what the two-person delivery leg costs in 16 US cities.
  • Broker vs. carrier direct — When a direct carrier contract beats a broker, and when it doesn't.
  • Volume LTL vs. partial truckload — The 6-to-18-pallet gray zone: how each is priced and handled.
  • Where to get a freight quote — Carrier sites, marketplaces, brokers and instant-rate platforms compared.
  • How to ship anything — Mode, packaging, freight class and cost drivers for furniture, machinery, produce, hazmat and more.
  • Shipping to Mexico — Cross-border freight: border crossings, the documents each side needs, and the US leg's real cost.
Live quote

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Pick the mode, enter the lane and freight, and see live rates in seconds where the mode supports it. Armstrong Transport Group's team handles the rest.

Prefer to talk? Call 877-240-1181 or email info@getshippingrates.com. Shipping several modes? Request a free multimodal shipping review.

LTL quote

  2. 2 Shipment
  3. 3 Contact
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