917 miles · Est. 13.5 hours · Avg $2.45/mile · Gross $2,247
Lane Overview
917
Miles
$2.45
Avg rate/mile
$2,247
Avg gross rate
easy
Competition
Chicago-Dallas runs I-55 south to St. Louis, then picks up I-44 and I-35 into the DFW metro. Midwest manufacturing — machinery, food processing equipment, steel goods — flows southbound at high volume. This is an easy lane: freight is plentiful, shippers need trucks, and you can afford to be selective about rates. Expect $2.35–$2.55/mile consistently.
Do NOT leave Chicago Monday morning — I-90/94 through the south side and I-55 through Joliet are brutal until 10am. Aim for Sunday night or early Tuesday departure. The Texarkana weigh station on I-30 is active if you deviate via that route — stay on I-35 through OKC instead. Return loads from Dallas are equally strong with consumer goods northbound.
Driver Tip
At 13.5 hours drive time, HOS planning is critical. Use our HOS Calculator to map your 70-hour cycle before dispatch.
Multi-Day Costs
Fuel Estimate
$340
Based on avg diesel price
Toll Estimate
$35
Varies by route and state
Net After Costs
$1,872
Before your other costs
What Moves on This Lane
Common Equipment
Driver's Complete Guide
Chicago to Dallas is one of those lanes where the freight finds you rather than the other way around. Midwest manufacturing output — steel components, machinery, food processing equipment, plastic resins — flows south on a daily basis because DFW needs it, and Chicago produces it. I've dispatched this run consistently for years and the load board never goes quiet here, which is exactly why we mark it easy. The challenge isn't finding freight; it's not leaving money on the table when shippers know trucks are available.
The southbound freight mix leans industrial. Chicago's manufacturing belt pushes steel goods, fabricated metal parts, and processing equipment toward Dallas's construction and industrial sectors. But there's also substantial consumer goods movement — Chicago distribution centers shipping to DFW retailers. Reefer runs carry food processing output from the suburban Chicago meat and dairy facilities. Flatbed runs carry structural steel and oversized manufacturing equipment that flatbed operators love for the rate premium.
I-55 south from Chicago to St. Louis is your first leg. The Joliet corridor on I-55 has had construction stretching back years — there are always lane reductions somewhere between mile markers 257 and 280. Monday morning is genuinely painful here; I've watched trucks sit in that backup for 90 minutes. St. Louis at rush hour on I-270/I-44 is another chokepoint. Once you're through St. Louis, I-44 southwest to Joplin, then I-44 to Oklahoma City, then straight down I-35 to DFW — that's the cleanest routing. Stay on I-35 through OKC rather than diverting through Texarkana on I-30; the weigh station there is aggressive and the routing adds miles.
Because this is an easy lane, the temptation is to grab the first load posted. Don't. With this much available freight, you can hold out for $2.45/mile or better. Tuesday and Wednesday pickups consistently run stronger than Thursday or Friday. Direct shipper relationships with the industrial manufacturers in the western Chicago suburbs — Joliet, Bolingbrook, Aurora — will outperform broker spot rates on this lane by $0.10–$0.15/mile over time.
Dallas back to Chicago is equally good. Consumer goods, retail merchandise, and food products from DFW's enormous distribution complex head north. The rate runs $2.40–$2.50/mile northbound. Book your return before you deliver in Dallas — don't sit in the DFW area hunting loads. The DFW broker community is active and you'll find something, but pre-booking saves you a half-day of dead time.
What's the fastest route from Chicago to Dallas that avoids the worst traffic?
Leave Sunday evening or before 6am Tuesday. Take I-55 south, bypassing the Joliet construction by going early. Hit St. Louis before 7am or after 9am. I-44 southwest to I-35 south is cleaner than any Arkansas routing.
Are there weight stations to watch on I-35 in Oklahoma?
Yes — the Purcell, OK scale just south of OKC on I-35 southbound runs daytime hours and catches a lot of trucks. Also watch the Davis, OK area. Oklahoma runs combined vehicle weight enforcement strictly.
How much do Illinois tolls add up to on this run?
About $30–$35 if you go through the Tri-State Tollway (I-294/I-80) and I-55. Get an I-PASS or equivalent transponder — cash lanes add time and the transponder rate is meaningfully cheaper.
Return Freight
Dallas to Chicago
917 miles · $2.40/mile avg
Similar Routes
Dispatch Service
TruckLeap dispatches dry van and flatbed carriers on lanes like this — 6% fee, no contracts.
Our dispatch team finds Chicago to Dallas loads daily and negotiates top-of-market rates. Apply free.
Apply for Dispatch Service