US Foods Packaging & Routing Guidelines

US Foods Packaging Guidelines FAQ: Get clear rules on PO segregation, carton & pallet labeling, GS1‑128 placement & cross‑dock placards.

Can you mix POs in a single carton?

No. Each PO must be delivered as a single delivery and if multiple POs are on the same load they must be segregated and visibly marked, so mixing them in one carton is not permitted.

Can you mix POs in a single pallet?

No. Each pallet is tied to a single PO. If multiple POs are delivered on the same load, they must be segregated and clearly marked.

Where do I place the label on a carton?

For cases, the GS1‑128 barcode label must be affixed on two sides (preferably the short and long sides). For bagged products, the label should be placed on the top of each bag (with best-in-class labeling placing it on all four sides).

Where do I place the label on a pallet?

For pallets destined for cross‐dock or mixing center shipments, you must attach a placard directly to each pallet so that the information is clearly visible. This cross‐dock placard (or US Foods Placard) must include the following: a header stating “US Foods Placard”, the destination name, the vendor name, the US Foods purchase order (PO) number, the specific pallet’s number (for example, “1 of 5” as each pallet must have its own placard while the total pallet count is noted on the BOL) and the ship date. If your system cannot print all required fields, you must handwrite any missing information. In addition, for cases bearing GS1‐128 barcodes (which are not pallet labels but are applied to individual cases or bagged products), the barcode label must appear on two sides (short and long sides for cases or on the top of all bags) to ensure proper scanning and traceability.