Thanksgiving turkey transportation: Inside Butterball's U.S. logistics operations

There are few things more integral to Thanksgiving than the turkey. But most Americans likely don't consider how these birds make it to grocery stores across the country before the holiday feast. One company prepares months in advance to ensure this Thanksgiving staple's safe and efficient transportation.

Butterball: Reputation, tradition, quality

U.S. shoppers have the choice among multiple whole turkey brands for their Thanksgiving feast, but what makes Butterball stand out, according to Dan Bohlman, the company's director of logistics, is its long-standing reputation.

“We've been around since the 1950s,” Bohlman said. “That longevity of our brand has built a lot of trust with consumers over generations.”

Bohlman also points to the company’s standards as another reason why consumers have supported the Butterball brand for years. According to Bohlman, Butterball is the only commercial turkey company that is American Humane Certified.

Butterball also provides a helpline for those struggling while cooking their turkeys. The Turkey Talk-Line, launched in 1981, opens every November and December with more than 50 experts who field 100,000 questions from across the U.S. and Canada.

Turkey logistics and the November challenge

According to Bohlman, Butterball’s Thanksgiving preparations are a year-long endeavor, but annual planning meetings begin in August. Butterball meets with its providers, motor carriers, and third-party logistics providers to plan for the brand’s most challenging month: November.

“Thanksgiving is our holiday; we tend to call it our Super Bowl,” Bohlman said. “The biggest challenge that we see is the outbound shipments are condensed in such a short period of time. So that does present a lot of challenges, both on transportation and warehousing capacity.”

Bohlman claims the solution for these challenges is proper planning and communication, which is why Butterball dedicates so much of the year to its Thanksgiving preparations.

Part of the reason for this shortened transportation schedule in November is due to the type of turkeys Butterball transports.

“We sell frozen turkeys year-round,” Bohlman said. “However, the frozen turkeys then do tend to ship and deliver more in the back half of the year. But what's unique is that the fresh whole birds that we sell, because of their shorter shelf life, are going to be delivered in November, just weeks before or days before the Thanksgiving holiday.”

Butterball’s year-long preparations are understandable when you look at the statistics. According to Bohlman, Butterball will transport roughly 15 million turkeys nationwide this Thanksgiving. While these turkeys are delivered throughout the country, higher volumes are delivered to the East Coast, California, Arizona, and the Midwest.

About the Author

Jenna Hume

Digital Editor

Digital Editor Jenna Hume joined FleetOwner in November of 2023 and previously worked as a writer in the gaming industry. She has a bachelor of fine arts degree in creative writing from Truman State University and a master of fine arts degree in writing from Lindenwood University. She is currently based in Missouri.