New Orleans to San Antonio Truck Dispatch
Freight route connecting New Orleans, LA to San Antonio, TX (540 miles). San Antonio's manufacturing and military logistics base connects via I-10.
What do truck dispatch rates run from New Orleans to San Antonio?
New Orleans to San Antonio is a 540-mile lane paying about $1,242 - $1,458 per load, near $2.30 - $2.70 a mile. Freight is mostly consumer goods, aerospace/medical-connected freight and port import-connected freight.
- Distance
- 540 miles
- Avg. rate / load
- $1,242 - $1,458
- Rate per mile
- $2.30 - $2.70
- Transit time
- 1-2 days
- Deadhead risk
- 25-30%
Lane rates reviewed September 2026. These numbers follow 2026 spot-market pricing and can shift during hurricane season. See our dispatch fee structure.
New Orleans to San Antonio
New Orleans to San Antonio is a 540-mile, roughly 8.5-hour run west on I-10, connecting Louisiana's port gateway to a Texas metro built around aerospace, medical and automotive supply chains. Port San Antonio, developed on the former Kelly Air Force Base, anchors a logistics and aerospace-repair hub that keeps steady westbound freight demand on this corridor.
Origin
New Orleans, LA
Destination
San Antonio, TX
Distance
540 miles
Transit Time
1-2 days
Average Rate
$1,242 - $1,458
Rate per Mile
$2.30 - $2.70
540-mile lane, about 8.5 hours on I-10
Port San Antonio, on the former Kelly Air Force Base, anchors an aerospace-repair and logistics hub
New Orleans sits at the mouth of the Mississippi River import and export corridor
New Orleans to San Antonio: route facts a driver should know
San Antonio sits on the busiest inland trade corridor in the country
San Antonio sits on I-35, which runs south to Laredo, the busiest inland port of entry in the US for truck-based Mexico trade, moving hundreds of billions of dollars in goods and millions of truck crossings a year.
Source: US Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Transborder Freight Data. Checked 30 Sep 2026.
Joint Base San Antonio contributed over $55 billion to the Texas economy
Joint Base San Antonio, which includes Fort Sam Houston, Lackland Air Force Base, and Randolph Air Force Base, contributed at least $55 billion to the Texas economy in 2023 and is the region's largest employer, generating steady military-linked freight demand.
Source: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, military economic impact. Checked 30 Sep 2026.
Diesel for this lane
How much is the diesel for New Orleans to San Antonio?
About $490.40 this week. The lane is 540 miles. A truck that gets 6.5 miles per gallon uses about 83 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
- 540 mi
- Diesel needed
- 83 gal
- Price used
- $5.90/gal
- Fuel cost
- $490.40
Common Freight Types
Consumer goods, aerospace/medical-connected freight and port import-connected freight fill the trailers heading west.
- Manufacturing Equipment
- Military/Government Freight
- Consumer Goods
What makes the New Orleans to San Antonio lane difficult?
Hurricane season (June-November) can disrupt the New Orleans end of this route
Hurricane season (June-November) can disrupt the New Orleans end of this route.
A cross-region run this long requires careful hours-of-service planning
A cross-region run this long requires careful hours-of-service planning.
Competition from the dense San Antonio carrier base can pressure rates
Competition from the dense San Antonio carrier base can pressure rates.
What freight moves on the New Orleans to San Antonio lane?
What travels between New Orleans and San Antonio, and why Port San Antonio matters here.
Primary Commodities
- •Manufacturing Equipment
- •Military/Government Freight
- •Consumer Goods
Secondary Commodities
- •Aerospace/medical-supply-chain-connected freight
- •Consumer goods
- •Port import-connected freight
Seasonal Cargo
Peak seasons for this lane:
- •Consumer goods (holiday surge)
- •Aerospace/medical freight (steady)
- •Hurricane-prep and resupply freight (June-November)
When is the New Orleans to San Antonio lane busiest?
Retail timing and hurricane season both shape this lane.
Q1 (Jan-Mar): Slow Period?
A modest dip after the holidays, cushioned by steady aerospace and medical-supply-chain freight.
Q4 (Oct-Dec): Peak Period?
Consumer goods climb from October through December.
Produce Season?
Not a major factor on this lane.
- •Q4 holiday retail season
- •Hurricane-season disruption risk (June-November)
- •Steady aerospace and medical-supply-chain freight year-round
Hurricane Risk?
Real on the New Orleans end; Atlantic and Gulf hurricane season (June-November) can disrupt operations.
Seasonal Strategy Summary
This lane runs fairly steady year-round, with hurricane season (June through November) the main risk factor near the Gulf Coast.
How do I negotiate the best rate on the New Orleans to San Antonio lane?
When to book, who pays extra, and which loads need a storm contingency.
When to Book
Suggested booking window:
1-2 days out is typical for this haul.
What Brokers Pay More
Loads that command more:
Time-critical aerospace and medical-supply-chain freight tends to pay a premium.
When to Avoid
Loads to price carefully:
Be careful committing to a fixed delivery date during an active hurricane without a contingency plan.
Rate Negotiation Tips for New Orleans to San Antonio
- •
This is a long haul at 540 miles, so plan for a solid one-day trip.
- •
Cross-border Mexico freight is common on this lane, given San Antonio's position on the I-35 Laredo corridor.
- •
Military-linked freight tied to Joint Base San Antonio is worth asking about too.
How do I find a backhaul load on the New Orleans to San Antonio lane?
San Antonio's diversified freight base makes an eastbound load realistic.
Best Return Cities
Where to look for the return load:
- •San Antonio, TX
- •Regional distribution hubs near San Antonio
Deadhead Risk %
Deadhead risk on this lane: 25-30%
With Port San Antonio's aerospace-repair hub, there is real backhaul variety.
Alternative Routes
If the first load falls through, try these:
- •Moderate backhaul via the I-10 corridor.
- •Pre-book return freight on load boards before you arrive, so you don't sit empty
Backhaul Optimization Tips
- •
San Antonio's position on the Laredo trade corridor gives you strong backhaul options heading toward Mexico or north on I-35.
- •
New Orleans's own port and petrochemical freight keeps eastbound loads flowing too.
- •
Give yourself real recovery time after this run before your next dispatch.
What do experienced dispatchers know about the New Orleans to San Antonio lane?
Three notes before this Gulf Coast run.
Check hurricane advisories before running this lane June through November.
Plan your hours-of-service and rest stops before this 8.5-hour run.
Check current San Antonio-area freight-market rates before committing to a slow-season load.
If your authority covers cross-border freight, San Antonio's position on the Laredo corridor makes this a lane worth specializing in.
New Orleans to San Antonio Lane FAQs
Answers on drive time, Port San Antonio, and hurricane season.
The lane data shows about $1,242 - $1,458 per load, or $2.30 - $2.70 a mile, across 540 miles.
Port San Antonio, built on the former Kelly Air Force Base, anchors an aerospace-repair and logistics hub, alongside medical and automotive supply chains.
About 8.5 hours for the 540 miles on I-10.
Reasonably, given the metro's diversified aerospace and medical-connected freight base.
Other Louisiana freight lanes we dispatch
- New Orleans to Charlotte
- New Orleans to Nashville
- New Orleans to Baton Rouge
- New Orleans to Houston
- New Orleans to Atlanta
- New Orleans to Memphis
Local resources
Also serving the other end of this lane
Dry Van owner-operator, Southeast: +$2,550/week after moving to $2.85/mi on automotive parts / retail / beverage freight.
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