Richmond to Louisville Truck Dispatch
Freight route connecting Richmond, VA to Louisville, KY (590 miles). UPS's Worldport air hub in Louisville makes this a strong time-sensitive freight corridor via I-64/I-81.
What do truck dispatch rates run from Richmond to Louisville?
Richmond to Louisville is a 590-mile lane paying about $1,387 - $1,623 per load, near $2.35 - $2.75 a mile. Freight is mostly consumer goods/e-commerce, air-cargo-connected freight and industrial equipment.
- Distance
- 590 miles
- Avg. rate / load
- $1,386 - $1,622
- Rate per mile
- $2.35 - $2.75
- Transit time
- 1 day
- Deadhead risk
- 25-30%
Lane rates reviewed September 2026. These numbers follow 2026 spot-market pricing and rise during the Q4 e-commerce peak. See our dispatch fee structure.
Richmond to Louisville
Richmond to Louisville is a 590-mile, roughly 9-hour run west on I-64, connecting Virginia's freight hub to UPS's global air-cargo hub. Louisville's Worldport facility is UPS's largest global air-package sorting hub, keeping steady truck-to-air reload demand flowing through this corridor.
Origin
Richmond, VA
Destination
Louisville, KY
Distance
590 miles
Transit Time
1 day
Average Rate
$1,386 - $1,622
Rate per Mile
$2.35 - $2.75
590-mile lane, about 9 hours on I-64
Louisville hosts UPS Worldport, UPS's largest global air-package sorting hub
Richmond sits within 500 miles of over 50% of the US population
Richmond to Louisville: route facts a driver should know
Louisville's UPS Worldport processes 2 million packages a day
UPS Worldport in Louisville is a 5.2-million-square-foot air hub employing roughly 20,000 people, processing about 2 million packages on a normal day, with more than 300 flights a day.
Source: Louisville Public Media, UPS Worldport coverage. Checked 30 Sep 2026.
Richmond and Norfolk together reach more consumers than Chicago
Richmond and Norfolk combined can reach 40.4 million consumers within 250 miles, more than Chicago, Atlanta, or Los Angeles can reach from their own metro areas.
Source: CBRE, emerging industrial markets: Richmond and Norfolk. Checked 30 Sep 2026.
Diesel for this lane
How much is the diesel for Richmond to Louisville?
About $548.79 this week. The lane is 590 miles. A truck that gets 6.5 miles per gallon uses about 91 gallons, and diesel is averaging $6.05 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 the two regions this lane connects, not the price at each pump. Your mpg and fuel card discounts change it.
- Distance
- 590 mi
- Diesel needed
- 91 gal
- Price used
- $6.05/gal
- Fuel cost
- $548.79
Common Freight Types
Consumer goods, air-cargo-connected freight and industrial equipment fill the trailers heading west.
- E-commerce/Parcel
- Consumer Goods
- Automotive Parts
What makes the Richmond to Louisville lane difficult?
A cross-region run this long requires careful hours-of-service planning
A cross-region run this long requires careful hours-of-service planning.
Time-critical air-cargo-connected freight can require tight scheduling
Time-critical air-cargo-connected freight can require tight scheduling.
I-64 through West Virginia can see winter weather and mountain-pass conditions
I-64 through West Virginia can see winter weather and mountain-pass conditions.
What freight moves on the Richmond to Louisville lane?
What travels between Richmond and Louisville, and why UPS Worldport matters here.
Primary Commodities
- •E-commerce/Parcel
- •Consumer Goods
- •Automotive Parts
Secondary Commodities
- •Air-cargo-connected freight (UPS Worldport)
- •Consumer goods
- •Industrial equipment
Seasonal Cargo
Peak seasons for this lane:
- •Consumer goods and e-commerce (holiday surge)
- •Air-cargo-connected freight (steady, peaks Q4)
- •Industrial equipment (steady)
When is the Richmond to Louisville lane busiest?
The Q4 e-commerce and air-cargo peak drives this lane hard.
Q1 (Jan-Mar): Slow Period?
A modest dip after the holiday e-commerce peak.
Q4 (Oct-Dec): Peak Period?
E-commerce and air-cargo-connected freight climb sharply from October through December.
Produce Season?
Not a major factor on this lane.
- •Q4 holiday e-commerce and air-cargo peak
- •Steady logistics freight year-round
- •Winter freight slowdown around mountain weather
Hurricane Risk?
None. Winter mountain-pass weather through West Virginia is this corridor's real seasonal risk.
Seasonal Strategy Summary
This lane runs fairly steady year-round, with UPS-linked freight in Louisville tightening up around the November-December holiday shipping peak.
How do I negotiate the best rate on the Richmond to Louisville lane?
When to book, who pays extra, and which loads need tight scheduling.
When to Book
Suggested booking window:
1-2 days out is typical for this haul, tighter during the Q4 e-commerce peak.
What Brokers Pay More
Loads that command more:
Time-critical UPS-connected air-cargo freight tends to pay a premium.
When to Avoid
Loads to price carefully:
Be careful committing to a fast winter delivery through the West Virginia mountains without checking conditions.
Rate Negotiation Tips for Richmond to Louisville
- •
This is a long haul at 590 miles, so plan for a solid one-day trip.
- •
UPS-linked freight in Louisville can mean tighter capacity around the holidays.
- •
Richmond's own growing distribution base keeps this lane busy in both directions.
How do I find a backhaul load on the Richmond to Louisville lane?
UPS Worldport's air-cargo hub status makes an eastbound load realistic.
Best Return Cities
Where to look for the return load:
- •Louisville, KY
- •Regional distribution hubs near Louisville
Deadhead Risk %
Deadhead risk on this lane: 25-30%
With UPS's largest global air-package sorting hub anchoring the city, there is real backhaul variety.
Alternative Routes
If the first load falls through, try these:
- •Louisville's UPS hub and bourbon industry distribution support solid backhaul volume back toward Richmond.
Backhaul Optimization Tips
- •
Louisville's UPS hub keeps freight flowing steadily in both directions.
- •
Richmond's own growing freight base keeps eastbound loads flowing too.
- •
This lane connects two genuinely major freight markets, so backhauls are rarely hard to find.
What do experienced dispatchers know about the Richmond to Louisville lane?
Three notes before this air-cargo-hub run.
Plan your hours-of-service and rest stops before this 9-hour run.
Confirm scheduling windows before hauling freight connecting to UPS's air-cargo network.
Check West Virginia mountain-pass conditions before a winter run.
Expect Louisville-area capacity to tighten around UPS's peak holiday season in November and December.
Richmond to Louisville Lane FAQs
Answers on drive time, UPS Worldport, and the Q4 peak.
The lane data shows about $1,387 - $1,623 per load, or $2.35 - $2.75 a mile, across 590 miles.
It hosts UPS Worldport, UPS's largest global air-package sorting hub.
About 9 hours for the 590 miles on I-64.
Yes, generally, given UPS Worldport's air-cargo hub status.
Other Virginia freight lanes we dispatch
- Richmond to Washington
- Richmond to Memphis
- Richmond to Norfolk
- Richmond to Charlotte
- Richmond to Atlanta
- Richmond to New York
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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