A shipping system for packing and transporting products, such as case ready food items, in which the products require a certain amount of separation between layers. The shipping system comprises a shipping unit, formed by at least one substantially open-topped tray, preferably two or more, that are stacked atop one another, with a cover placed atop the uppermost tray, and held together by banding or strapping. Preferably, the tray(s) and cover are fabricated from corrugated paperboard material.