Des Moines to Sioux City Truck Dispatch
Freight route connecting Des Moines, IA to Sioux City, IA (195 miles). Connects Des Moines to northwest Iowa's pork processing corridor via I-29.
What do truck dispatch rates run from Des Moines to Sioux City?
Des Moines to Sioux City is a 195-mile lane paying about $507 - $585 per load, near $2.60 - $3.00 a mile. Freight is mostly consumer goods, agricultural freight and food-production freight.
- Distance
- 195 miles
- Avg. rate / load
- $507 - $585
- Rate per mile
- $2.60 - $3.00
- Transit time
- Same day / 3 hrs
- Deadhead risk
- 15-20%
Lane rates reviewed September 2026. These numbers follow 2026 spot-market pricing, which moved up through Q1 2026 in this corridor. See our dispatch fee structure.
Des Moines to Sioux City
Des Moines to Sioux City is a 195-mile, roughly 3-hour run northwest on I-80 and I-29, connecting Iowa's capital to a growing western-Iowa logistics market. Sioux City sits at the crossroads of I-29 and I-80, serving Iowa's agriculture, construction, food-production and manufacturing industries with a rate market that moved up through the first quarter of 2026.
Origin
Des Moines, IA
Destination
Sioux City, IA
Distance
195 miles
Transit Time
Same day / 3 hrs
Average Rate
$507 - $585
Rate per Mile
$2.60 - $3.00
195-mile lane, about 3 hours on I-80 and I-29
Sioux City sits at the crossroads of I-29 and I-80
Both spot and contract rates moved up in the Sioux City market during Q1 2026
Des Moines to Sioux City: route facts a driver should know
A $300 million pork plant reshaped Sioux City's freight base
Seaboard Triumph Foods opened a $300 million pork processing plant in Sioux City in 2017, the largest single development in modern Sioux City history, initially hiring around 1,100 workers and growing from there.
Source: Sioux City Journal, Seaboard Triumph Foods coverage. Checked 30 Sep 2026.
Sioux City is served by three Class I railroads
Sioux City is one of a handful of US cities served by three Class I railroads at once, BNSF, Union Pacific, and Canadian National, plus the short-line D&I Railroad operating under BNSF trackage rights.
Source: Wikipedia, D&I Railroad. Checked 30 Sep 2026.
Diesel for this lane
How much is the diesel for Des Moines to Sioux City?
About $190.56 this week. The lane is 195 miles. A truck that gets 6.5 miles per gallon uses about 30 gallons, and diesel is averaging $6.35 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
- 195 mi
- Diesel needed
- 30 gal
- Price used
- $6.35/gal
- Fuel cost
- $190.56
Common Freight Types
Consumer goods, agricultural freight and food-production freight fill the trailers heading northwest.
- Pork Products
- Agricultural Products
- Consumer Goods
What makes the Des Moines to Sioux City 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.
Winter weather across Iowa can affect road conditions
Winter weather across Iowa can affect road conditions.
A 5
A 5.9% general rate increase effective January 2026 may affect connected freight costs.
What freight moves on the Des Moines to Sioux City lane?
What travels between Des Moines and Sioux City, and why the crossroads location matters here.
Primary Commodities
- •Pork Products
- •Agricultural Products
- •Consumer Goods
Secondary Commodities
- •Agricultural-connected freight
- •Food-production-connected freight
- •Consumer goods
Seasonal Cargo
Peak seasons for this lane:
- •Consumer goods (holiday surge)
- •Agricultural freight (planting and harvest seasons)
- •Food-production freight (steady)
When is the Des Moines to Sioux City lane busiest?
Harvest season and steady food-production freight both shape this lane.
Q1 (Jan-Mar): Slow Period?
A modest dip after the holidays, cushioned by steady food-production freight.
Q4 (Oct-Dec): Peak Period?
Consumer goods climb from October through December.
Produce Season?
A real factor tied to Iowa's spring planting and fall harvest seasons.
- •Q4 holiday retail season
- •Fall harvest season (agricultural freight)
- •Steady logistics freight year-round
Hurricane Risk?
None. Winter weather across Iowa is this corridor's real seasonal risk.
Seasonal Strategy Summary
This lane runs steady year-round, tracking Sioux City's consistent meatpacking and agricultural-processing volume.
How do I negotiate the best rate on the Des Moines to Sioux City lane?
When to book, who pays extra, and which loads need harvest-season 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 agricultural and food-production-connected freight tends to pay a premium during harvest season.
When to Avoid
Loads to price carefully:
Be careful committing to a fast winter delivery without checking road conditions.
Rate Negotiation Tips for Des Moines to Sioux City
- •
At just 195 miles, this is a short, quick run.
- •
Refrigerated freight tied to Sioux City's pork-processing plants is worth asking about.
- •
Rail-competitive freight is common here given Sioux City's three-railroad access.
How do I find a backhaul load on the Des Moines to Sioux City lane?
Sioux City's crossroads position makes a southeastbound load realistic.
Best Return Cities
Where to look for the return load:
- •Sioux City, IA
- •Regional distribution hubs near Sioux City
Deadhead Risk %
Deadhead risk on this lane: 15-20%
With rates moving up through Q1 2026 in this market, there is real backhaul variety.
Alternative Routes
If the first load falls through, try these:
- •Seaboard Triumph Foods' processing volume offers a steady, high-value refrigerated backhaul base.
Backhaul Optimization Tips
- •
Sioux City's meatpacking and rail base gives you real backhaul options.
- •
Des Moines's own manufacturing and grain freight keeps southbound loads flowing too.
- •
This short lane is a good fit for more than one round trip in a day.
What do experienced dispatchers know about the Des Moines to Sioux City lane?
Three notes before this western-Iowa corridor run.
This lane pairs well with a same-day or next-day return load.
Check Iowa winter conditions before a late-fall through early-spring run.
Confirm current rate schedules before quoting Sioux City-connected freight.
Ask whether the freight is reefer-linked. Sioux City's pork plants generate steady refrigerated volume worth building a relationship around.
Des Moines to Sioux City Lane FAQs
Answers on drive time, Sioux City's crossroads role, and market rates.
The lane data shows about $507 - $585 per load, or $2.60 - $3.00 a mile, across 195 miles.
About 3 hours for the 195 miles.
It sits at the crossroads of I-29 and I-80, serving Iowa's agriculture, construction and food-production industries.
Reasonably, given the metro's crossroads position and steady freight market.
Other Iowa freight lanes we dispatch
- Des Moines to Waterloo
- Des Moines to Denver
- Des Moines to Davenport
- Des Moines to Cedar Rapids
- Des Moines to Dallas
- Des Moines to Detroit
Local resources
Dry Van owner-operator, Midwest: +$1,950/week after moving to $2.65/mi on produce / auto parts freight.
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