Atlanta, United States
Sea freight in Atlanta
We book FCL and LCL sea freight for shippers and consignees in Atlanta, via Port of Savannah. Pre-carriage, on-carriage by road or rail and the customs entries are planned together with the ocean booking.
Airports, seaports and connections in Atlanta
- AirportHartsfield-Jackson
ATL - SeaportPort of Savannah
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) is one of the busiest passenger airports in the world and the home hub of Delta Air Lines, which gives Atlanta significant belly cargo capacity alongside freighter operations. For ocean freight, the Port of Savannah, roughly 400 km south-east by road, is one of the largest container ports in the US and the main sea gateway for Atlanta's distribution centres. The Port of Brunswick on the Georgia coast specialises in ro-ro vehicles and machinery.
Atlanta is the meeting point of I-75, I-85 and I-20, with the I-285 perimeter highway encircling the city and I-16 running to Savannah. Norfolk Southern and CSX operate major rail yards and intermodal terminals in the metro area. The Georgia Ports Authority's Appalachian Regional Port in north-west Georgia connects to Savannah by rail, adding another inland option.
Operational logistics facts for Atlanta
| Hub | Specialisation | Local advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) | Belly and freighter capacity | Large passenger hub with wide international connections |
| Port of Savannah | FCL/LCL containers | Major container port within trucking distance of Atlanta |
| I-285 / I-75 / I-85 junction | Truck distribution across the Southeast | Central location for regional delivery |
| Norfolk Southern and CSX intermodal terminals | Rail containers from the coast | Rail connection between ports and the Atlanta warehouse market |
Industries in Atlanta and how we support them
Atlanta is the main distribution hub of the US Southeast, with large warehouses for retail, e-commerce and consumer goods. Georgia has a growing automotive industry with vehicle and battery plants, and the state is a major food and beverage producer, including poultry and drinks brands headquartered in Atlanta. We support these supply chains with air freight under our own air waybills via ATL, sea freight through Savannah with rail or truck delivery to Atlanta, Next Flight Out for production-critical automotive parts and On-Board Courier for urgent samples. Customs data is prepared before the cargo arrives.
From the port to your door in Atlanta
We arrange collection of the container or the LCL cargo at Port of Savannah, customs clearance and delivery to your site in the Atlanta area. For exports we organise the pick-up and the delivery to the terminal before the cut-off.
Customs clearance in the United States
Ziem network
Customs clearance in the United States is handled by a partner team in the Ziem network, under the Ziem Logistics brand and to our procedures.
For air freight to and from the United States we issue our own air waybills.
Importers in the United States need an importer of record number and, for most formal entries, a customs bond.
Frequently asked questions
Which port is used for sea freight to and from Atlanta?
Usually Port of Savannah. Depending on the shipping line and the destination, another port can be faster or more economical; we compare the options when quoting.