Georgia

Port of Savannah (the state’s main container gateway)

The Port of Savannah (Garden City Terminal and related GPA facilities) is the principal container port in Georgia and one of the fastest-growing container ports on the U.S. East Coast. In recent reporting, Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) recorded millions of TEUs handled annually (GPA’s State-of-the-Port reports and press releases provide fiscal TEU totals and month-by-month updates). These container volumes reflect both imports (retail, manufacturing inputs) and exports (agriculture, manufactured goods).

Port of Brunswick

Brunswick handles high volumes of roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) cargo including automobiles and other specialized breakbulk shipments; it also supports project cargo and some containerized traffic.

Cargo types / trade flows

Imports: consumer goods, electronics, apparel, furniture, machinery and retail inventory are major import categories arriving by container.

Exports: agricultural commodities, forest products, manufactured components and specialty goods are exported via container and breakbulk services.

Sea → On-dock handling

Ship-to-shore cranes and on-terminal equipment move containers from vessel to yard at Savannah’s Garden City Terminal and other GPA berths. GPA has invested heavily in larger cranes, expanded berths and channel deepening to handle bigger vessels.

Intermodal rail

Large volumes of containers are moved inland by intermodal rail. Georgia operates several intermodal rail ramps and partners with Class I railroads (CSX, Norfolk Southern) plus short lines to move containers to inland markets. The inland port model (rail-served intermodal yards) lets trucks carry containers shorter distances to an intermodal yard, where trains move long hauls. GPA’s inland ports network and rail expansions are central to increasing throughput and linking Savannah to the Midwest.

Trucking

Trucks provide final-mile delivery, drayage (short haul from terminal to local depots or inland ports) and are critical for time-sensitive retail shipments. Georgia’s interstate network (I-95, I-75, I-85, I-20) supports heavy truck flows to/from ports and distribution centers.

Air cargo

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is a global air cargo hub supporting high-value and time-sensitive freight that complements seaport container trade. Atlanta’s air links support regional distribution and intermodal transfers between air and surface transport.

Overall, the container supply chain in Georgia is multimodal: ocean → terminal → (rail or truck or sometimes air for transshipment) → inland distribution / final delivery. Investments in rail capacity, inland ports, terminal cranes and channel depth are all focused on improving velocity and capacity.

Georgia is home to many Fortune-level and high-profile companies across sectors (retail, logistics, aviation, beverages, energy, financial services, media). Representative major companies headquartered or with major operations in Georgia include:

The Home Depot (Atlanta) — global home improvement retailer.

UPS (United Parcel Service) (Atlanta) — global logistics and package carrier.

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) — major passenger and cargo airline.

The Coca-Cola Company (Atlanta) — global beverage company.

Southern Company (Atlanta) — energy holding company.

Aflac (Columbus) — insurance and financial services.

Cox Enterprises (Atlanta) — media, communications and automotive services.

Hanesbrands, Genuine Parts Company, WestRock, Asbury Automotive Group, and others — many of which appear on lists of Georgia’s largest private and public employers.