Who ships pet food, and when do they book?

Commodity playbook

Who ships pet food

Plants and head offices across the midwest and south. Most of these companies run several sites, and the ingredient inbound is a second lane at each one.

Ask for transportation procurement, not the plant. This is one of the few commodities on this list where the freight is genuinely bought centrally, on annual bids, by people whose job is buying freight. That is harder to walk into and much better once you are in. Ask when their bid season is and get on the list for it.

Where it hauls

Plants follow the ingredients, which means grain country and protein country: Missouri and Kansas carry an unusual concentration, with Ohio, Alabama, Pennsylvania and the Carolinas adding capacity. Finished goods run from plant to the manufacturer's own distribution centres, then out to grocery, mass, pet specialty and e-commerce fulfilment. Inbound ingredient freight is a whole second business at the same sites. The producers to know:

How to open

Asking about the bid rather than a load is the correct register for this shipper. Spot freight here is the exception and treating it as the opening marks you as someone who has not worked the category.

Qualifying questions

• Bagged or bulk? Palletized bagged finished goods are the truckload freight. Bulk ingredients inbound move in hoppers and tankers and are a different business entirely. Ask which side of the plant you are being offered.
• What does it scale? Dry kibble palletized runs close to legal weight in a van, wet food in cans more so. Get the pallet count and target gross, because this is not the light freight people assume consumer goods to be.
• Is the trailer food-grade? Pet food is a regulated food product and shippers apply sanitation standards to the trailer. Expect questions about prior loads, washouts and whether the trailer has ever carried anything unsuitable. Have the answer ready.
• Is this contract or spot? Most volume is contracted annually. Spot exists around plant startups, promotions and weather disruptions. Knowing which one you are quoting changes both the rate and the conversation.
• When is your bid season? The single most useful question here. Get the month, get the qualification requirements, and be ready before it opens rather than calling once it has closed.

When to call

Autumn, ahead of bid season for the new year. Carriers get qualified before an RFP, not during it, so the call that matters is months ahead of the award. The upside is that the freight does not care about weather, harvest or holidays, which makes a won lane unusually durable.