Memphis, TN → Nashville, TN
Route Details
I-40 Cross-Country Corridor
I-40 · 2,554 total miles · east west
Tennessee Trucking
Tennessee is strategically positioned in the Southeast with Memphis and Nashville serving as critical freight hubs. Memp...
I-40
210 miles from Memphis, TN to Nashville, TN
Freight on This Lane
The dominant freight categories moving between Memphis, TN and Nashville, 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...
Beverages
Beverage freight is one of trucking's heaviest and most consistent categories, moving 13.8 billion cases per year across 4.2 million truckloads. A ful...
Rate Breakdown
Seasonal Patterns
FedEx sorts in Memphis generate steady outbound year-round. Retail distribution peaks 20-25% in September through November as Nashville DCs stock for holiday season. Agricultural loads (cotton, grain) from the Mississippi Delta peak October through December. Beverage freight (Jack Daniels from Lynchburg, beer distributors) runs consistently but bumps 15% in April through June for summer stocking.
Backhaul Guide
Return load strategy for the Nashville, TN to Memphis, TN direction
Both Memphis and Nashville are top-10 freight markets. Nashville return loads pay $2.45-$2.80/mile on dry van. The real play is using this 210-mile lane as a connector — grab a Memphis-Nashville load and immediately reload in Nashville heading to Atlanta, Charlotte, or Chicago. Two-load combos in a single day gross $1,200-$1,600.
Compatible Truck Types
Equipment types that run profitably on this lane
At 210 miles, treat this as a relay lane, not a destination. The best strategy: stack a Memphis morning pickup (load by 8 AM) with a Nashville afternoon reload heading east or south. The I-40 corridor between the two cities is flat and fast — 3.5 hours including the Jackson, TN fuel stop. Avoid FedEx hub traffic near Memphis International Airport between 10 PM and 2 AM when sort operations cause truck congestion on I-240 and Airways Blvd.
Memphis, TN to Nashville, TN FAQ
Common questions about this freight lane
Is the Memphis to Nashville lane worth running as a standalone load?+
What are the best loads from Memphis to Nashville?+
How does the I-40 corridor between Memphis and Nashville handle?+
Get Dispatched on the Memphis, TN to Nashville, TN Lane
Our dispatchers know this lane inside and out. 6% commission, no contracts, and we pre-book your backhaul before you depart.
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