1020 miles · Est. 15.0 hours · Avg $2.50/mile · Gross $2,550
Lane Overview
1,020
Miles
$2.50
Avg rate/mile
$2,550
Avg gross rate
moderate
Competition
Denver to Dallas southbound on I-25 through Pueblo and Raton Pass, then connecting to I-35 at Wichita or I-40 is a Mountain-to-Plains haul carrying agricultural products, energy equipment, and consumer goods toward DFW's distribution network. Consumer goods supply Texas from Denver's growing distribution infrastructure. Energy equipment for Colorado's oil and gas sector heads south to Texas service companies. Moderate rates at $2.40–$2.60/mile are reliable.
Raton Pass on I-25 at the New Mexico/Colorado border is 7,834 feet — chains required in winter, grade brakes mandatory southbound on the 6% descent into Raton, NM. Oklahoma connections: I-35 south from Wichita through Oklahoma City is the smoothest approach to Dallas. Alternatively, I-40 east to I-35 south adds mileage but bypasses I-35 construction zones. Amarillo, TX on I-27 south to I-40 east is a third option popular with flatbed operators. Return Dallas to Denver (Lane 16) brings consumer goods and building materials northbound.
Driver Tip
At 15.0 hours drive time, HOS planning is critical. Use our HOS Calculator to map your 70-hour cycle before dispatch.
Multi-Day Costs
Fuel Estimate
$378
Based on avg diesel price
Toll Estimate
$5
Varies by route and state
Net After Costs
$2,167
Before your other costs
What Moves on This Lane
Common Equipment
Driver's Complete Guide
Denver to Dallas is a Mountain West to Sun Belt haul with enough freight variety to keep the rate interesting. The routing choices matter more than on most lanes — how you get from Denver to the Texas border determines your fuel efficiency, your winter exposure, and which freight markets you're positioned to serve en route.
Denver's economy has diversified considerably — tech companies, healthcare systems, and consumer goods distribution all generate southbound freight toward DFW. Lockheed Martin's Littleton facility and Raytheon's Aurora operations produce aerospace freight. Colorado's agricultural sector — cattle, wheat, and malted barley — sends food products south. Energy equipment from Colorado's western slope oil and gas operations, routed through Denver, heads to Texas service companies. Consumer goods from Denver's expanding distribution infrastructure — Amazon operates a large Thornton fulfillment center — move south toward DFW daily.
The routing decision happens at Pueblo, CO. Option one: I-25 south through Trinidad and Raton Pass into New Mexico, then east on I-40 or US-56 toward Oklahoma or Texas Panhandle — Amarillo via I-40 east is popular for flatbed operators, and I-27 south to Lubbock and Abilene into DFW is a common flatbed continuation. Option two: I-25 south all the way to Albuquerque, east on I-40 to Amarillo, then I-27/US-287 south. Option three: from Pueblo go east on US-50 to Kansas, then I-35 south through Wichita and OKC to Dallas — this avoids the mountain pass entirely and is the cleanest winter routing. Raton Pass at 7,834 feet on I-25 at the Colorado-New Mexico border is the critical section: southbound descent is a 6% grade that requires engine brake and gear selection discipline. Chains required November through April when conditions warrant. Fuel in Pueblo before Raton — Trinidad has fuel but limited truck parking.
Flatbed operators running Colorado to Texas via the Amarillo routing can sometimes pick up Permian Basin oilfield loads in the Texas Panhandle area before the final Dallas run, effectively creating an intermediate stop that adds revenue. Standard dry-van runs $2.40–$2.55/mile on the spot market. Energy equipment flatbed loads from Colorado command a premium — $2.55–$2.70/mile when shippers are moving urgently for oilfield operations.
Dallas to Denver (Lane 16) brings building materials, consumer goods, and manufactured products northbound. Denver's construction boom has been sustained for years and the northbound building materials market is consistently active.
Which routing avoids Raton Pass in winter?
The US-50 east from Pueblo to Wichita, Kansas, then I-35 south through OKC into Dallas is the winter bypass that avoids all mountain pass exposure. It adds 100+ miles compared to the I-25 direct route through Raton but eliminates chain law exposure and steep grades. Many experienced Denver-Dallas operators switch to this routing October through April.
Is the Amarillo routing via I-40 and I-27 competitive with I-25/I-35?
Yes, and it has advantages for flatbed operators who want access to the Permian Basin freight market in Midland or the Texas Panhandle oilfield activity. The Amarillo routing adds some mileage to Dallas but opens up interim freight opportunities that the I-25/I-35 routing through Oklahoma doesn't provide.
What weigh stations should I expect on this run?
New Mexico has a scale on I-25 northbound at Raton that checks southbound trucks on occasion. The more active scale is the Oklahoma I-35 southbound at Purcell. Texas has weigh-in-motion sensors on I-35 south of OKC that can trigger a pull-in at the Gainesville area.
Return Freight
Dallas to Denver
1020 miles · $2.55/mile avg
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