Dallas, TX → Memphis, TN
Route Details
I-40 Cross-Country Corridor
I-40 · 2,554 total miles · east west
Texas Trucking
Texas is the largest trucking state in America, with over 190,000 for-hire carriers and major freight hubs in Dallas, Ho...
Tennessee Trucking
Tennessee is strategically positioned in the Southeast with Memphis and Nashville serving as critical freight hubs. Memp...
I-30 / I-40
450 miles from Dallas, TX to Memphis, TN
Freight on This Lane
The dominant freight categories moving between Dallas, TX and Memphis, TN
Retail & Consumer Goods
Retail freight is the backbone of dry van trucking, representing $190+ billion in annual US transportation spend across 12 million truckloads per year...
Agriculture & Grain
Agricultural freight is the original trucking category, moving 4.5 billion bushels of grain, 180 million tons of animal feed, and $120 billion in farm...
Manufacturing & Industrial
Manufacturing freight moves $165 billion in raw materials, components, and finished goods between 320,000+ US factories each year, generating 9.5 mill...
Rate Breakdown
Seasonal Patterns
Retail freight dominates this lane year-round thanks to the Walmart Bentonville HQ pull. Volume spikes 25-30% in August through November as retailers pre-stock distribution centers for Black Friday and holiday season. Agricultural loads (cotton, soybeans, rice) from the Arkansas Delta peak September through November at $2.90-$3.20/mile on dry van. January through March is the softest period with rates dropping 10-15%.
Backhaul Guide
Return load strategy for the Memphis, TN to Dallas, TX direction
Memphis is the FedEx hub and a top-5 logistics city. Return loads to Dallas average $2.50-$2.80/mile on dry van. Auto parts from the Memphis area Cummins and Mitsubishi plants head southwest consistently. Reefer loads from Memphis cold storage facilities (Americold, Lineage) pay $2.75-$3.00/mile heading to Texas.
Compatible Truck Types
Equipment types that run profitably on this lane
Target Walmart vendor loads from the DFW area — they consistently pay $2.90-$3.20/mile to Bentonville/NW Arkansas distribution centers along this corridor. Book Tuesday or Wednesday pickups for best rates; Monday loads are oversaturated with weekend capacity re-entering the market. The I-30/I-40 interchange in Little Rock is a known congestion point — schedule transit to pass through between 10 AM and 2 PM to avoid 90-minute delays.
Dallas, TX to Memphis, TN FAQ
Common questions about this freight lane
What freight moves from Dallas to Memphis?+
How does the Dallas to Memphis lane compare to Dallas to Nashville?+
Are there weight restrictions on I-30 through Arkansas?+
Get Dispatched on the Dallas, TX to Memphis, TN Lane
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