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How to Ship Georgia Poultry

Resources > How to Ship Georgia Poultry
There are many considerations to keep in mind when you're thinking about how to ship Georgia poultry. Learn more from a strategic freight partner.
Published: September 20, 2019
Last Modified: May 5, 2023
Author: Ask Truckload

The Georgia poultry industry is nothing to cluck at. In fact, the state’s poultry industry adds more than  $18.4 billion to the Georgia economy every year. This adds up to 26 million pounds of chicken and 9.2 million eggs every single day. With so much chicken and so many eggs coming from Georgia’s farms, it’s no surprise that logistics is business for poultry products in Georgia. 

There are many considerations to keep in mind when you’re thinking about how to ship Georgia poultry. Poultry products, including chicken and eggs, are highly perishable and this means that you need to take a few precautions to make sure your shipment arrives fresh. Items to consider when you’re thinking about logistics and how to ship Georgia poultry include:

  • Packaging
  • Delivery Windows
  • Trailer temperature

Learn more about what it takes to keep the poultry industry in Georgia moving and how you can get your shipment there on time and intact every single time.

How Much Poultry Comes from Georgia?

Georgia is among the top broiler producing states in the country. For this reason, Georgia is known as the “Poultry Capital of the World.” The average Georgia poultry farm could feed 22,000 people per year with its annual production and this means that a good portion of the poultry products consumed in the U.S. come from Georgia farms.

All aspects of the poultry industry are represented in Georgia. Here in the Peach State, you’ll find: 

  • Chicken processing plants
  • Hatcheries
  • Mills to produce chicken feed

Additionally, chicken waste is big business in Georgia. Chicken waste is a popular and powerful fertilizer for crops and other plants. 

The popularity of poultry products has been on the rise in the U.S. over the past several decades. Its nutritional value and price point mean chicken and poultry products are served on dinner tables in households across the country every single night.

How Do You Ship Georgia Poultry?

In many cases, Georgia poultry is shipped by the truckload. Working with the right broker or carrier can ensure your poultry shipment moves smoothly and makes it on-time.

The basics of shipping Georgia poultry are fairly simple. There are three main considerations to keep in mind when you’re moving fresh met like poultry:

  • Packaging
  • Delivery Windows
  • Trailer temperature

Packaging

Meat and poultry moves in temperature-controlled trucks. These refrigerated vehicles keep a cool, steady temperature. Even with the right refrigerated truckload shipping, packaging your poultry is still important. The right packaging can further reduce changes in temperature that might encourage bacteria growth and lead to spoilage. It is wise to think about shipping your poultry with dry ice or gel coolants. You might use regular corrugated cardboard boxes, but you’ll need to use liners and other insulators to keep the meat and poultry fresh. You might want to avoid using regular ice to help maintain temperature, as it can melt quickly and leave you with a soggy mess.

Delivery Window

When you have poultry on the move, you need to be aware of its tight delivery window. When you’re planning a truckload shipment of Georgia poultry, stability and speed are important. Understanding the delivery window can ensure your product arrives fresh and on time. Consider transit time and work with a carrier with a record of on-time deliveries. 

Trailer Temperature

Refrigerated truckload shipping is essential for moving poultry. To help thwart the growth of bacteria in your poultry, it needs to maintain a temperature of approximately 40 degrees throughout the shipping process. Maintaining this temperature is essential, as it keeps poultry fresh and stable. Refrigerated truckload shipping can be expensive, but working with the right broker will help you keep costs down. 

Cold Chain and Shipping Poultry

When you think about how to ship Georgia poultry, you need to think about the cold chain. There’s more to cold chain logistics than just refrigerated trucking. The cold chain process has many links to keep it going, including:

  • Refrigerated production areas
  • Refrigerated warehouses environments
  • Temperature-controlled transportation and truckload shipping
  • Refrigeration at wholesale and retail destination points

The cold chain process for shipping poultry involves the right equipment and materials. 

Georgia poultry isn't the only thing you'll find behind the butcher's counter than requires cold chain logistics. Learn how to ship meat in bulk.

Refrigerated Truckload Shipments

A refrigerated truck, also known as a reefer truck, is essential for moving temperature-controlled shipments. When you work with an experienced logistics broker, you get instant access to the best refrigerated and temperature-controlled shipment carriers. These carriers can offer optimum shipping speeds, follow guidelines for temperature, and are prepared to meet any other guidelines for compliance set by your business or regulating agencies. 

Shipping and Packaging

Poultry is a perishable product that needs to be carefully packaged for shipment. Your goal in packaging Georgia poultry for shipment should be to maintain the desired temperature as it travels. This means you’ll need insulated boxes and more. A few of the shipping and packaging supplies you might use to help your shipment maintain temperature include:

  1. Dry ice: Be careful using dry ice, as it is a hazardous material. However, when combined with other insulation methods, dry ice can help maintain freshness and temperature.
  2. Insulated gel packs and pads: Using insulated gel packs and pads can allow you to help keep poultry and other perishables fresh during shipment. 
  3. Styrofoam boxes and sheets: Styrofoam products like boxes and sheets come in varying degrees of thickness. The different levels of thickness can offer varying degrees of insulation.
  4. Ice packs and ice gels: Gel ice packs are usually filled with a refrigerant gel or liquid, which freezes faster and stays cold longer. Some ice packs are reusable, others are designed for one-time use. One-time use ice gel packs are usually more cost-effective for shipping both frozen and fresh poultry.

If you're shipping in Georgia, you may have to go through the Port of Savannah. Check out our article on the port's expansion to learn more.

Truckload Shipping in Georgia with R+L Global Logistics

When you’re moving Georgia poultry or even Georgia clay, you need a logistics partner who can help you move freight fast. Regardless of whether you’re shipping freight from Georgia to Texas or anywhere else, let R+L Global Logistics be your broker and strategic logistics partner. With top-tier customer service, the latest technology and competitive rates, plan to make your next Georgia poultry shipment with R+L Global.

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