Georgia Refrigeration Trailer Rentals

What drives cold-storage demand in Georgia

Weather and hazards

• Heat wave (June to September): Atlanta reaches 90 F or higher on about 47 days a year, heat waves above 100 F have often been recorded, and the statewide record is 112 F. Sustained heat raises the load on refrigeration and can overwhelm older coolers, which can create a need for extra or backup cold storage. Source
• Ice storm (December to February): Freezing rain is the main winter threat in the northern Piedmont, and ice storms cause more problems in Atlanta than snow; the most severe occurred January 7, 1973. Ice can down power lines for days and strand perishable inventory, which can create a need for emergency refrigeration. Source
• Tornado (any month; Adel was struck in January 2017 and again in 2020 and 2023): Georgia is among the leading states for tornado incidents. A low-end EF3 on January 22, 2017 killed 14 people in Adel, and an EF2 caused major damage there on January 22, 2023. Tornado damage to buildings and power lines can take kitchens and coolers out of use and often creates a short-term need for temporary equipment. Source
• Hurricane (June to November, peak late summer): Direct hurricane strikes are uncommon, but Tropical Storm Alberto (1994) dropped over 20 inches of rain in 24 hours in central Georgia, and Savannah has seen Matthew (2016), Irma (2017), and Debby and Helene (2024). Storm flooding and widespread power loss can spoil refrigerated stock and often create demand for emergency cold storage, kitchens and warewashing. Source

Power outages

• More than 1 million Georgia customers lost power at the peak of Hurricane Helene in September 2024. Outages of this size, reaching deep into inland Georgia, can leave grocers, restaurants and food plants without refrigeration for days. Source
• Georgia Power called Helene the most destructive hurricane in the company's history and reported restoring more than 840,000 customers by midday September 30, 2024. Multi-day restoration windows mean food businesses can face outages longer than coolers can hold temperature. Source

Food and hospitality

• Garden City Terminal at the Port of Savannah lists 3,246 reefer plugs (126 racks with 3,024 slots plus 222 powered ground or wheeled slots), with backup generators to prevent cold chain interruption. A very large reefer operation shows how much perishable cargo depends on uninterrupted power and how overflow cold storage can be needed at peaks. Source
• The Georgia Ports Authority says off-terminal cold storage facilities total about 2.36 million square feet, as close as three miles from Garden City Terminal. A large cold storage cluster signals heavy import and export of refrigerated goods through coastal Georgia. Source
• The Port of Savannah handled 4.9 million TEU in 2023 and is North America's fourth-largest container port. High container volume supports a large local logistics and food distribution sector. Source
• Broilers are Georgia's top farm-gate commodity, valued at about $6.1 billion or 36.1% of total farm-gate value in a UGA report. Poultry growing and processing depends on refrigeration and can need temporary capacity during outages or peaks. Source
• Savannah drew about 14.8 million visitors in 2019, and Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport handled an estimated 93.7 million passengers in 2022. High visitor volumes drive hotel, restaurant and catering demand that can exceed fixed kitchen capacity at peaks. Source