Every fall, garden centers across the Southeast fill with mums and pansies. Many of those plants begin their trip in Auburn at Young’s Plant Farm, where they are loaded onto a PTP Transport trailer. Live plants are among the most time-sensitive types of freight, and moving them safely takes planning, care and skilled drivers. For PTP Transport, hauling plants for Young’s Plant Farm isn’t just a seasonal job. It’s where our company began.

PTP Transport History

PTP Transport started and still serves as the in-house carrier for Young’s Plant Farm, a grower based in Auburn, Alabama. For many years, PTP trucks have delivered Young’s Plant Farm grown plants to customers to welcome in each season. In 2017, PTP began offering for-hire truckload and less-than-truckload services across the Southeast. Young’s Plant Farm remains our top priority, and every spring, summer and fall our trailers fill with seasonal color.

What’s in the Trailer This Fall?

Mums and pansies are the signature plants of the fall season. Garden mums are grown for months so they are budded and ready to bloom as temperatures drop. That timing creates a tight shipping window, since each plant needs to reach the store ready to bloom rather than past its peak.

Pansies are a cool-weather favorite in Southern landscapes and can provide color from fall into early spring. They hold up well once planted but are delicate in transit, with soft stems and blooms that bruise easily.

Hauling Live Freight Takes Extra Care

Unlike most freight, live plants can’t sit on a dock or in a trailer for long. PTP follows several practices to ensure every plant load arrives in pristine condition.

• Maintain a steady trailer temperature. Refrigerated trailers keep the load in a safe range from farm to store, regardless of the weather outside.
• Load plants to protect airflow. Plants ride on rolling racks that keep pots upright and allow air to circulate.
• Plan routes around delivery windows. Dispatchers and drivers coordinate so loads leave promptly and arrive when receivers are ready.
• Drive smoothly. Hard braking and sharp turns can shift racks and damage blooms.
• Check the load at every stop. Drivers confirm rack placement and load securement before departure and after each delivery.

Drivers Build Care Into Every Delivery

In the 2025-2026 seasons (spring, summer, fall and winter) PTP drivers logged 980,542 miles, resulting in 2,438 loads delivered. PTP drivers know that a smooth, safe trip protects both the freight and everyone who shares the road. The habits that keep a load, drivers and all commuters safe include safe following distances, steady braking and thorough pre-trip and post-trip inspections. When a driver finds an issue with equipment or a load, it gets documented and reported immediately so it can be resolved before the next delivery.

The next time you see a porch lined with fall mums, there’s a good chance a PTP driver helped get them there.

PTP Cares About Our Drivers’ Safety

All PTP drivers participate in our ongoing employee safety training program. Safety is emphasized and helps ensure each driver and load arrives at its destination safely.

At PTP Transport, we’re committed to helping our drivers succeed on the road and beyond. Visit our website to learn more about driving for PTP and browse our open positions.