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Freight Lane Balance Explorer for Owner Operators

See how much freight moves by truck each way between two states, which direction is the headhaul and which is the backhaul, and where loads leave from the far end.

Data: Freight Analysis Framework version 5, from the U.S. Federal Highway Administration and Bureau of Transportation Statistics, for 2022. It estimates all truck freight between states, from for-hire carriers and private fleets, in tons and dollars. Value is in 2017 dollars. It is not a load board and it does not show rates or how many loads are open today. Heavy bulk goods such as gravel, grain and sand make up much of the weight, so the headhaul and backhaul call uses value.

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This tool is free. If it shows you are leaving money on the road, Grow Trucking finds loads, negotiates rates and does the paperwork for owner-operators and small fleets.

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How do I find the headhaul and the backhaul on a lane?

Compare how much freight moves each way between the two states. The direction with more freight is the headhaul, and the other is the backhaul. When the split is lopsided, the backhaul is harder to fill and usually pays less. Then look at where freight leaves the destination state to plan the return.

  1. Pick the state you load in and the state you deliver to.
  2. Compare the freight value each way. If the bigger direction is more than twice the smaller, the lane is one-way.
  3. Look at where freight leaves the destination state, biggest flows first.
  4. Check real rates and open loads on your load board. This tool shows freight, not rates.
  5. Work out what an empty run to a better market costs before you take it.
Examples from the 2022 federal freight data (truck freight, value in 2017 dollars)
LaneOne wayOther wayBalance
Georgia and Florida$47.4 billion GA to FL$14.1 billion FL to GAOne-way: GA to FL is the headhaul
California and Arizona$29.0 billion CA to AZ$13.8 billion AZ to CAOne-way: CA to AZ is the headhaul
Texas and Oklahoma$27.8 billion TX to OK$20.2 billion OK to TXLeaning: TX to OK
Illinois and Ohio$20.4 billion IL to OH$18.6 billion OH to ILEven

Data: Freight Analysis Framework version 5 (FAF5), from the Federal Highway Administration and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 2022 estimates of all truck freight between states. It is annual freight in tons and dollars, not rates or open loads. Even means the bigger direction is no more than 1.25 times the smaller, leaning is up to 2 times, and one-way is more than 2 times. Those cutoffs are ours.

Last reviewed September 2026. Sources: FHWA: Freight Analysis Framework (FAF5); ORNL: FAF5 data download and documentation.

Frequently Asked Questions - Freight Lane Balance Explorer

What is a backhaul in trucking?
A backhaul is the load a truck hauls on the return trip, back toward where it started. On a lane where far more freight goes one way than the other, the busy direction is the headhaul and the quiet direction is the backhaul. Backhauls usually pay less and can be hard to find, so a truck may go home light. This tool shows which direction is which for any two states.
What is the difference between headhaul and backhaul?
The headhaul is the direction with more freight and usually better rates. The backhaul is the direction with less freight and usually lower rates. Which way is which depends on the lane, and it can flip depending on the pair of states. For example, in the 2022 federal data, freight from Georgia to Florida was worth about $47.4 billion, while freight from Florida to Georgia was about $14.1 billion.
How do I find backhaul loads?
Start with where freight leaves the state you are delivering to. The table on this page lists the states that freight from your destination goes to, biggest first. Then look for loads to those states on your load board, and use the Deadhead Miles Calculator to see if a longer empty run is worth it. This tool shows where freight tends to go, not which loads are open today.
Which states have the most truck freight?
Big flows sit between neighbors. In the 2022 federal data, some of the biggest by weight were Iowa to Minnesota, Pennsylvania to New Jersey, Illinois to Indiana, and Wisconsin to Minnesota. Weight is full of bulk goods like grain and gravel, so the tool also shows value. Pick any two states to see both.
Which states are hardest to get a load out of?
States that take in much more freight than they send out have less freight leaving them. In the 2022 data, Florida sent out about 44 percent of the value it took in, and Nevada, Montana and Washington DC were lower still. Each state's page in this tool shows how much it sends out compared with what it takes in, and where it ranks among the 49.
Where does this freight data come from?
The Freight Analysis Framework version 5 (FAF5), published by the Federal Highway Administration and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. It estimates freight moved between states by truck, in thousand tons and million dollars, and we use the 2022 estimates. It covers all truck freight, both for-hire carriers and private fleets.
Does this show freight rates or open loads?
No. It shows how much freight moved between states in a year, not what it paid or which loads are open now. Use it to understand the shape of a lane, then check real rates with the Rate Benchmarker and open loads on your load board.
Why does the page use value, not weight, to name the headhaul?
Weight is dominated by heavy, low-value goods like gravel, sand and grain, which move in dump and hopper trucks. Value leans toward the goods that dry vans, reefers and flatbeds haul. If the two disagree, the page tells you. Both numbers are shown for each direction.
Are Alaska and Hawaii included?
No. No truck freight moves between them and other states in the federal data, since the trips cross water. The tool covers the 48 contiguous states and Washington DC.

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Go Further With Freight Lane Balance Explorer

Guides, services and reference pages that go with this tool.

Terms explained in the Freight Lane Balance Explorer