Air Freight · Coast to Coast
Louisiana Crawfish to California
Live and boiled Louisiana crawfish air-freighted from our Plaucheville plant to California wholesale buyers. Parboiled ships with no dead loss — and no middleman between our ponds and your dock.
Louisiana accounts for roughly 96 percent of US crawfish sales, per the LSU AgCenter — and California buyers come to us for two reasons beyond volume.
The first is the animal itself. Louisiana red swamp crawfish — what the trade calls reds — are what the boil market is built around. California’s small commercial catch is largely a different species, so a buyer asking for Louisiana reds is asking for a different product, not just a different postmark.
The second is the calendar. California’s crawfish season runs from roughly mid-May into the fall. Louisiana’s runs January through July and peaks March through June. That leaves the front half of the year — peak boil season — with almost no California supply at all, which is exactly the window we’re shipping in.
We send live crawfish and boiled crawfish west by air freight, farm-direct from our own ponds and farm alliances across Louisiana. Crawfish tail meat is frozen product; frozen freight is difficult to move by air, so tail meat travels by refrigerated truck through a carrier instead — ask us and we will work it out.
How Air Freight Works
Approved shipper on four airlines
We’re approved air freight shippers with American, Delta, Southwest and Alaska. We typically ship out of New Orleans (MSY) — the closest airport with good California options — and can also ship from Houston (IAH) or Dallas (DFW), since we already run trucks to both.
Airport to airport
Your shipment moves on a commercial flight and you or your carrier collect it from the airline’s freight terminal. We don’t ship door-to-door by parcel carrier — that isn’t workable for commercial volumes of live product.
Two to three days’ notice
Plan on two to three days. Once we’re in a rhythm with a regular account and supply is steady, one to two is usually workable.
Volume that covers the run
We don’t publish a minimum, because a sack count isn’t what decides it. What matters is whether the shipment covers getting a truck and driver to the terminal — volume and price together, not either one alone. Tell us what you’re after and we’ll tell you quickly whether it works.
Or Take Delivery in Texas
Some California buyers skip the plane entirely. We run scheduled wholesale routes across Texas — Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio and East Texas — so you can take delivery there and haul west on your own equipment. For buyers already running trucks, it’s often the better economics, and it puts the timing under your control instead of an airline’s. See our Texas delivery areas.
What Ships West
Boiled crawfish — no dead loss on a long haul
Parboiled in unseasoned water and rapid-chilled at our plant, cased by the 40 lb. For a coast-to-coast lane this is often the smarter buy: the product is already cooked, so there’s no live transit to survive and no dead loss to claim — the risk that makes long-distance crawfish expensive simply isn’t there. It also ships unseasoned, so your kitchen re-therms and seasons it however you like — which is exactly how most California operators want it.
Live crawfish
Washed, hand-sorted and re-sacked at our plant, precision weighed, and iced for transit — not field run. Seasonal, generally January through July.
Crawfish tail meat — arranged separately
Hand-picked, cleaned, vacuum-packed and frozen under a HACCP-certified process, under our Deshotels Crawfish Farms brand — available year-round, independent of live season. Frozen freight is difficult to move by air, so tail meat to California would travel by refrigerated truck through a carrier rather than on a plane. If you want tail meat out here, call us and we’ll work through the logistics with you.
Who We Ship To
Ju’s Crawfish Company is a farm-direct wholesale crawfish supplier, and in California we serve seafood distributors, Asian grocery and restaurant accounts, seafood markets, restaurant groups and boil operations across California — Los Angeles, the Bay Area, San Diego, Sacramento and the Central Valley. If you move volume and want Louisiana reds during our season, call and tell us what you need.
Shipping to the East Coast instead? See our East Coast page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you ship live Louisiana crawfish to California?
Yes. We air-freight live crawfish and boiled crawfish to California for wholesale buyers. We're approved air freight shippers with American, Delta, Southwest and Alaska, and we typically ship out of New Orleans (MSY), which has the best California options. We can also ship from Houston (IAH) or Dallas (DFW), since we already run trucks to both. Crawfish tail meat is frozen product, and frozen freight is difficult to move by air, so it would come by refrigerated truck through a carrier instead — ask and we will work it out. Call 30-CRAWFISH (302-729-3474) to discuss volume and timing.
What about dead loss on a shipment to California?
It's the right question to ask on a lane this long, and it's the reason a lot of California buyers take boiled instead of live. Our boiled crawfish is parboiled in unseasoned water and rapid-chilled at the plant, so it's already cooked when it ships — there's no live transit to survive and no dead loss to claim. It arrives cased by the 40 lb, and your kitchen re-therms and seasons it however you like. Live crawfish is available too and ships washed, sorted and iced for transit, but boiled removes the risk entirely.
How does delivery work in California?
Air freight is airport-to-airport: your shipment moves on a commercial flight and you or your carrier collect it from the airline's freight terminal. We don't ship door-to-door by parcel carrier — that isn't workable for commercial live crawfish volumes.
How much lead time do you need for a California shipment?
Plan on two to three days. Once we're in a rhythm with a regular account and supply is consistent, one to two days is usually workable. Call 30-CRAWFISH (302-729-3474) and we'll set a schedule around your delivery days.
Is there a minimum order for air freight to California?
We don't publish one, because a sack count isn't really what decides it. What matters is whether the shipment covers the run to the airport, and that's volume and price together — a smaller order at the right price can work where a bigger one at a thin price doesn't. Tell us what you're looking for and we'll tell you quickly whether it pencils, and if it doesn't, whether taking delivery on one of our Texas routes makes more sense.
Can I buy Louisiana crawfish in Texas and truck it to California myself?
Yes, and some buyers prefer it. We run scheduled wholesale routes across Texas, so you can take delivery in Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio or East Texas and haul west on your own equipment. It's often the better economics for buyers who already run trucks. Call 30-CRAWFISH (302-729-3474) to talk through which option fits.
When is Louisiana crawfish available to California buyers?
Louisiana's live crawfish season generally runs January through July and peaks March through June. California's own season runs from roughly mid-May into the fall, so the front half of the year — peak boil season — is when California buyers look to Louisiana. Crawfish tail meat is a different story: it's hand-picked, vacuum-packed and frozen under a HACCP-certified process, so it's available year-round independent of live season — though frozen freight is difficult to move by air, so tail meat would come by refrigerated truck through a carrier rather than on a plane.
Why buy Louisiana crawfish instead of California crawfish?
Two reasons. First, the species: Louisiana red swamp crawfish — reds — are what the boil market is built around, while California's small commercial catch is largely a different species, so it isn't the same product. Second, scale and timing: Louisiana accounts for roughly 96 percent of US crawfish sales according to the LSU AgCenter, and California's season doesn't start until around mid-May, leaving peak boil season without local supply.
Shipping crawfish to California?
Call and tell us your volume and delivery days — we'll work out whether air freight or a Texas pickup fits your operation better.