Bentonville to Fort Smith Truck Dispatch
Freight route connecting Bentonville, AR to Fort Smith, AR (83 miles). Short corridor connecting Northwest Arkansas to Fort Smith's manufacturing base via I-49.
What do truck dispatch rates run from Bentonville to Fort Smith?
Bentonville to Fort Smith is an 83-mile lane paying about $232 - $266 per load, near $2.80 - $3.20 a mile. Freight is mostly consumer goods, retail-distribution freight and manufacturing-connected freight.
- Distance
- 83 miles
- Avg. rate / load
- $232 - $266
- Rate per mile
- $2.80 - $3.20
- Transit time
- Same day / 1.5 hrs
- Deadhead risk
- 10-15%
Lane rates reviewed September 2026. These numbers follow 2026 spot-market pricing for a short, high-rate-per-mile lane. See our dispatch fee structure.
Bentonville to Fort Smith
Bentonville to Fort Smith is an 83-mile, roughly 1.5-hour run south, connecting Walmart's global headquarters to the home of ArcBest, a $4.01 billion freight and logistics holding company founded in Fort Smith in 1966. Fort Smith also serves as a staging area for Walmart supplier-compliance operations, with Spartan Logistics running a 420,000-square-foot Regional Distribution Center offering one-day shipping to Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana.
Origin
Bentonville, AR
Destination
Fort Smith, AR
Distance
83 miles
Transit Time
Same day / 1.5 hrs
Average Rate
$232 - $266
Rate per Mile
$2.80 - $3.20
83-mile lane, about 1.5 hours south
ArcBest, a $4.01 billion freight and logistics company, was founded in Fort Smith in 1966
Spartan Logistics operates a 420,000-square-foot Regional Distribution Center in Fort Smith
Bentonville to Fort Smith: route facts a driver should know
Fort Smith connects to the Mississippi River by barge
The Port of Fort Smith connects to the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, linking to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico, and primarily handles steel products and bulk materials.
Source: Fort Smith freight and logistics overview. Checked 29 Sep 2026.
Poultry, steel and Walmart vendor freight drive Fort Smith demand
Poultry processing, steel fabrication and Walmart vendor logistics generate the most warehouse demand in Fort Smith, with warehouse lease rates among the lowest in the region at $2.86 to $10 per square foot.
Source: Fort Smith freight and logistics overview. Checked 29 Sep 2026.
A short lane: you likely won't need the 30-minute break
FMCSA requires a 30-minute break after 8 cumulative hours of driving without one. This 83-mile lane runs about 1.5 hours, so most drivers can finish it without a required break.
Source: FMCSA, Summary of Hours of Service Regulations. Checked 29 Sep 2026.
Diesel for this lane
How much is the diesel for Bentonville to Fort Smith?
About $75.38 this week. The lane is 83 miles. A truck that gets 6.5 miles per gallon uses about 13 gallons, and diesel is averaging $5.90 a gallon on this lane (week of October 19, 2026). The U.S. average diesel price is up 10 cents this week.
An estimate. It uses EIA's weekly average for this region, not the price at each pump. Your mpg and fuel card discounts change it.
- Distance
- 83 mi
- Diesel needed
- 13 gal
- Price used
- $5.90/gal
- Fuel cost
- $75.38
Common Freight Types
Consumer goods, retail-distribution freight and manufacturing-connected freight fill the trailers heading south.
- Manufacturing Equipment
- Consumer Goods
- Steel Products
What makes the Bentonville to Fort Smith lane difficult?
A short-to-medium lane keeps per-load rates in a moderate range
A short-to-medium lane keeps per-load rates in a moderate range.
Retail-connected freight can see tight scheduling windows tied to Walmart supplier-compliance deadlines
Retail-connected freight can see tight scheduling windows tied to Walmart supplier-compliance deadlines.
Winter weather can occasionally affect road conditions
Winter weather can occasionally affect road conditions.
What freight moves on the Bentonville to Fort Smith lane?
What travels between Bentonville and Fort Smith, and why ArcBest and Walmart's supplier-compliance operations matter here.
Primary Commodities
- •Manufacturing Equipment
- •Consumer Goods
- •Steel Products
Secondary Commodities
- •Retail-distribution-connected freight (Walmart supplier compliance)
- •Manufacturing-connected freight
- •Consumer goods
Seasonal Cargo
Peak seasons for this lane:
- •Consumer goods (holiday surge)
- •Back-to-school retail freight (July-August)
- •Manufacturing freight (steady)
When is the Bentonville to Fort Smith lane busiest?
Retail timing and steady manufacturing freight both shape this lane.
Q1 (Jan-Mar): Slow Period?
A modest dip after the holidays as retail inventory normalizes.
Q4 (Oct-Dec): Peak Period?
Consumer goods and retail-distribution freight both climb sharply from October through December.
Produce Season?
Not a major factor on this lane.
- •Q4 holiday retail season
- •Back-to-school retail season (July-August)
- •Steady manufacturing and distribution freight year-round
Hurricane Risk?
None. Occasional winter weather is this corridor's real seasonal risk.
Seasonal Strategy Summary
Poultry-processing and steel-connected freight run steady year-round in Fort Smith, tied to production schedules more than any single season.
How do I negotiate the best rate on the Bentonville to Fort Smith lane?
When to book, who pays extra, and which loads need compliance-deadline awareness.
When to Book
Suggested booking window:
Same-day to 1-2 days out is typical for this haul.
What Brokers Pay More
Loads that command more:
Time-critical Walmart supplier-compliance freight tends to pay a premium.
When to Avoid
Loads to price carefully:
Be careful committing to a fast winter delivery without checking road conditions.
Rate Negotiation Tips for Bentonville to Fort Smith
- •
Ask brokers about poultry, steel or Walmart-vendor-connected freight, since those three industries drive most demand in Fort Smith.
- •
This short lane pairs well with a same-day return given the roughly 1.5-hour drive.
- •
Confirm whether your freight connects to the barge port before assuming a straight truck-to-truck move.
How do I find a backhaul load on the Bentonville to Fort Smith lane?
ArcBest's headquarters presence makes a northbound load realistic.
Best Return Cities
Where to look for the return load:
- •Fort Smith, AR
- •Regional distribution hubs near Fort Smith
Deadhead Risk %
Deadhead risk on this lane: 10-15%
With ArcBest's $4.01 billion logistics network and Spartan Logistics's 420,000-square-foot distribution center, there is real backhaul variety.
Alternative Routes
If the first load falls through, try these:
- •Fort Smith is a secondary Arkansas River Valley market. It gives moderate northbound backhaul freight back toward Bentonville.
Backhaul Optimization Tips
- •
Fort Smith's barge connection to the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico gives this lane real multimodal backhaul variety.
- •
Low regional warehouse lease rates keep drawing new distribution tenants, worth checking as fresh reload sources.
- •
With about 1.5 hours of driving each way, a same-day round trip is realistic.
What do experienced dispatchers know about the Bentonville to Fort Smith lane?
Four notes before this Walmart-supplier-corridor run.
This lane pairs well with a same-day or next-day return load.
Confirm Walmart supplier-compliance deadlines before committing to a tight schedule.
Check winter conditions during occasional storms.
Check current Fort Smith-area freight-market rates before committing to a slow-season load.
Before you book Bentonville to Fort Smith, ask brokers whether your freight is poultry, steel or Walmart-vendor-connected, since those industries drive most local demand.
Bentonville to Fort Smith Lane FAQs
Answers on drive time, ArcBest, and Walmart's supplier-compliance role.
The lane data shows about $232 - $266 per load, or $2.80 - $3.20 a mile, across 83 miles.
ArcBest, a $4.01 billion freight and logistics company, was founded there in 1966, and the city serves as a staging area for Walmart supplier-compliance operations.
About 1.5 hours for the 83 miles.
Reasonably, given ArcBest's headquarters presence and Spartan Logistics's regional distribution center.
Other Arkansas freight lanes we dispatch
- Bentonville to Blytheville
- Bentonville to Springdale
- Bentonville to Tulsa
- Bentonville to Chicago
- Bentonville to Dallas
- Bentonville to Memphis
Local resources
Dry Van owner-operator, Southeast: +$2,550/week after moving to $2.85/mi on automotive parts / retail / beverage freight.
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