About Shipping Bulk Alcohol (How to Track and What to Expect)

Culinary Solvent food grade alcohol is available in bulk quantities from CulinarySolvent.com, offering commercial customers a significantly discounted cost per gallon depending on volume ordered.  Culinary Solvent food grade alcohol is offered in bulk 5 gallon jugs and 55 gallon drums.  The volume ordered will determine the available methods to ship to you.  Use this page to understand the requirements of shipping bulk food grade alcohol to you. 

Tracking A Current Shipment: Use the information at the bottom of the page to track your freight order depending on the destination and service used to ship.

What is LTL Freight delivery?

• LTL stand for "less than truckload", and is the service designation used whenever something is shipped that does not consume an entire truck's worth of space (typically about 26 pallets). 
• LTL freight is the only way to ship big, heavy items. 
• Products that ship LTL freight are always secured on a pallet, and require a forklift, pallet jack, or other special equipment to load and unload the delivery. 
• LTL freight deliveries can be scheduled for commercial and residential addresses, and are able to deliver to loading docks or ground level with addition of a lift gate to the truck.  Deliveries to non-commercial addresses without a commercial loading dock require additional steps on behalf of the freight company, and for that reason, will typically have added fees or service charges in addition to the delivery cost.

Comparing LTL Freight vs FedEx / UPS

• Price per pound to transport:  LTL Freight will always offer the lowest price per pound to transport your order if shipping more than 100 lbs.  Orders under 100 lbs are typically less expensive to ship using a common carrier like FedEx or UPS.
• Speed: FedEx Ground and UPS Ground will always offer faster service than freight.
• Accuracy of Tracking Information:  While all companies offer tracking information these days, the detail of information provided by FedEx and UPS offers a more reliable estimation on the delivery date expectation.

When is bulk shipped LTL Freight vs FedEx/UPS?

• Orders Under 20 Gallons - Always ship via FedEx Ground / UPS Ground.  Each 5 gallon jug is packaged individually and assigned a tracking number.
• Orders between 20 Gallons and 30 Gallons - Call this a "grey area" where we offer both FedEx Ground / UPS Ground as well as LTL freight options for this volume order.  
• Orders over 30 Gallons - Ship via LTL freight service.

Frequently Asked Questions about Shipping Bulk

Q: Can customers schedule their own freight service for pickup?

No, due to the strict regulations required for shipping hazardous materials, we currently do not allow customers to schedule their own freight pickups. 

Q: Can customers schedule a pickup for bulk quantities packed in 5 gallon jugs at the distillery in Maine?

A: Yes, we offer pickup appointments at the distillery for pickups of orders of bulk packaged in 5 gallon jugs.

Q: Can customers schedule a pickup for 55 gallon drums at the distillery in Maine?

A: No.  Due to the requirements for safely handling, transporting, and storing hazardous materials at this volume, we do not offer customer pickup for 55 gallon drum units of Culinary Solvent.

Q: Can I have a 55 gallon drum of food grade alcohol delivered to my home?

A: No.  Due to the requirements for safely handing and storing hazardous materials at this volume, we reserve the right to refuse scheduling delivery to any non-commercial location.  Customers uncertain if their delivery destination is eligible for delivery of hazardous materials may use our Contact form where we can assist in evaluating your delivery requirements.

Q: If I live in a state that doesn't allow shipment in, can I visit the distillery and pickup my order?

A: Unfortunately, no.  We are bound by the requirements for food grade non-beverage alcohol outlined for each state, documented in detail on our Shipping Map Page, and accordingly are not able to accommodate pickup requests if the customer is returning to a "prohibited state" listed on our map.  

How do freight orders ship?

Orders shipped via freight will be secured to a pallet.  A forklift or pallet jack is required to load/unload the pallet from the truck. Customers who do not have a loading bay at their destination may choose "lift gate service" at checkout to indicate need for the pallet to be lowered to the ground at delivery.

Loading Docks vs Lift Gate Service

Orders shipped freight require a loading dock of sufficient height for a truck to back into and unload.  Due to the weight of bulk orders, delivery to commercial destination without a loading dock will require the truck to return with different equipment to lower down the pallet to the ground (lift gate service), and may be subject to additional delivery delays or fees imparted by the freight company.  Customers are responsible for additional fees placed by freight carrier if destination address is different from that described at checkout.  If you do not have a loading dock, please indicate requiring a lift gate service when selecting freight option at checkout.  Lift gate service lowers the pallet to the ground for easy delivery and typically adds approximately $75 to the cost of transport. Read more about reshipment fees and added freight charges on our Refund Policy Page. 

Tracking Freight to Maine Address

Freight to customers in Maine is provided by Portland Air Freight (PAF).

• Portland Air Freight Contact Us Page
• Portland Airfreight Dispatch Operator: 207-510-6900.
• Portland Air Freight Dispatch Email: localdispatch@paftrans.com 

Freight orders to Maine take only 1 day of transit time after pickup.  PAF does not currently offer weekend delivery service.

How to track freight by PAF

Once your freight has been scheduled, you will receive an email with a tracking number called a "Tag Number" or "Tag ID". 

Visit Portland Air Freight's "Crown Connect Tracking System" and search for your shipment using the tag ID provided in your order confirmation email.  The PAF Crown Connect site requires users to register a free account to use the tracking feature.

Tracking Freight to Non-Maine Addresses

Freight to customers outside of Maine is provided by XPO Logistics.

• XPO Logistics Contact Page
• XPO logistics Dispatch Operator: 800-755-2728.

How to track freight by XPO

Once your freight has been scheduled, you will receive an email with a tracking number called a "PRO Number" or "PRO#".

Visit the XPO Logistics Track a Shipment page and search for your shipment using the PRO# provided in your order confirmation email.