Savannah Truck Dispatch

Savannah is a port city first. Garden City Terminal, run by the Georgia Ports Authority, is one of the largest single container terminals in the country, and nearly all of its cargo leaves by truck. That makes the Savannah area a strong place to pick up freight, especially dry van loads headed inland.

Most of the over-the-road loads don't come from the terminal itself. They come from the warehouses that sprang up around it in Pooler, Bloomingdale, Port Wentworth, Rincon and Bryan County.

Port numbers that matter to truckers

The Georgia Ports Authority reports that in fiscal year 2026, it moved 541,405 containers by rail at its Mason Mega Rail yard. Rail made up about 17 percent of Savannah's container trade. The other 83 percent moved by truck, with about 14,000 truck gate moves a day.

Volume stayed strong into the new fiscal year. GPA says Savannah had its busiest September on record in 2026, with 504,015 TEUs. For you, that means steady import freight in the warehouses nearby.

Savannah's freight areas

Working the port area

• The terminal is drayage work. Pulling containers in and out of Garden City Terminal needs terminal access and its own setup. Most long-haul trucks load at the warehouses instead.
• Traffic stacks up near the port. GA-21, GA-307 and the I-16 and I-95 interchanges get crowded with container trucks. Leave extra time for short moves.
• Imports are heavy. Furniture, appliances, tires and building products often load close to the weight limit. Know your scale weight before you leave.
• Parking fills up. Truck stops along I-95 near Pooler fill by evening. Plan your break early.

Lanes out of Savannah

Savannah freight mostly goes inland. Atlanta is the biggest single destination, so the I-16 and I-75 run is one of the most common in the state. Delivering back into Savannah is usually easy, since the warehouses also take in freight for export and local distribution.

Export freight heads the other way

Savannah isn't only imports. Trucks also bring export cargo to warehouses near the port, where it gets packed into containers. Paper, wood pulp and frozen poultry are common. For a driver, that means a load into Savannah is usually easy to find from inland Georgia and the Carolinas, and the trip pays both ways.

Florida is close, and a lot of Savannah freight heads south on I-95 to Jacksonville and Orlando. Those loads pay, but Florida ships out far less than it takes in. Plan how you'll get back north before you take one.

Bryan County and the new auto plant

West of Savannah, Hyundai's electric vehicle plant in Bryan County has brought parts suppliers and warehouses to the I-16 corridor. Auto freight runs on tight schedules, so these loads reward trucks that show up on time. As the plant grows, expect more inbound parts loads and more traffic near the I-16 and I-95 interchange.

When the port gets busy

Ships don't always arrive on schedule. When several come in at once, import warehouses fill up and outbound loads surge for a week or two. That's a good time to be near Savannah with an empty truck. When volumes dip, the warehouses slow down too, and an Atlanta load back to the coast may be the better plan.

Equipment that fits

• Dry van: most of the import freight leaving the warehouses.
• Power only: trailer moves between warehouses and drop yards around the port.
• Reefer: imported food and exports like poultry heading to the port.
• Flatbed: building products, lumber and machinery within legal size and weight.

Savannah's seasons

• Late summer to fall: The import peak for the holidays, when warehouses are busiest.
• June to November: Hurricane season. A storm can close the port and bring evacuation orders, with I-16 used to move traffic inland.
• Summer: Heat, humidity and afternoon storms.
• Winter: Mild, and usually a good time to run the coast.

A Pooler van week on import furniture

Here's a week a dispatcher might plan for a dry van based in Pooler.

An example of how a week can be planned, not a promise of loads, rates or miles. Distances are rounded.

Savannah checklist: warehouse or terminal, weight and storms

• Confirm the pickup is at a warehouse, not the terminal, unless you're set up for drayage.
• Check the load weight on heavy imports.
• Allow extra time near GA-21 and the I-95 and I-16 interchange.
• In hurricane season, watch the forecast before booking into the coast.
• If you deliver to Florida after Savannah, plan the trip back first.

Booking Savannah freight with us

Your dispatcher books Savannah area loads from the import warehouses in Pooler, Rincon and Bryan County, and checks weight and pickup details before you go. In the fall import peak, warehouse appointments fill fast, so pickups are confirmed a day ahead when possible.

Atlanta, the farm belt and state rules are on our Georgia dispatch page. The main inland run goes to Atlanta, and the coast continues into South Carolina. Heavy loads burn more fuel, so check your cost per mile.