Truck dispatch in Amarillo, TX

Amarillo road weather right now

Freight in Amarillo

Amarillo is the largest city between Dallas and Denver and between Albuquerque and Oklahoma City, where I-40 meets I-27. The Texas Economic Development Corporation says it anchors a trade area of more than 500,000 people, with BNSF and Union Pacific rail service, and that food manufacturing is the area's largest export category. TxDOT is studying an upgrade of US 87/US 287 to interstate standards as an I-27 extension from Loop 335 to north of Dumas, part of the Ports-to-Plains corridor.

Beef is the biggest freight base. Tyson's Amarillo beef plant packs boxed beef and ground beef patties for retail and foodservice customers across the U.S. and abroad, and the city's 2024 financial report counts about 4,300 Tyson workers. Cactus Feeders, the world's largest privately owned cattle feeder, and Friona Industries, the second-largest U.S. cattle feeder, are both based in Amarillo. Affiliated Foods (about 1,250 workers) and Ben E. Keith distribute food from here. On the manufacturing side, Bell builds the V-22 Osprey at its Amarillo Assembly Center, Owens Corning makes fiberglass for building products, Amarillo Gear makes right-angle gear drives, and International Paper makes containerboard packaging.

Major shippers and freight hubs

Listed for context from official sources and the companies' own pages. Fleetorica isn't affiliated with these companies, and we don't claim them as customers. Worker counts are the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce figures cited in the city's FY2024 financial report and may have changed since.

Main routes and truck traffic

The highways most loads in and out of Amarillo run on: I-40, I-27, US 287, US 87, US 60, Loop 335.

I-40 runs west through Vega and Tucumcari to Albuquerque and east through Groom and Shamrock to Oklahoma City. I-27 runs south through Canyon to Lubbock. US 87 and US 287 run north to Dumas, and US 287 continues toward Denver and southeast to Wichita Falls and Fort Worth. US 60 heads southwest to Hereford and Clovis and northeast to Pampa. Loop 335 circles the city.

Public truck parking is spread out. TxDOT's Travel Information Center on eastbound I-40 at mile 76, on the east side of Amarillo, is the closest state site. The next rest areas are on I-40 about an hour east, in Donley County (eastbound, mile 129) and Gray County near Alanreed (westbound, mile 131), and on I-27 south of Hale Center (mile 29). TxDOT's 2026 statewide assessment found 64% of Texas truck parking locations over capacity at the peak hour.

Lane planner: what a load out of Amarillo really pays

Pick a lane, type the broker's offer, and see your miles, driving time, fuel and what's left after dispatch.

Miles are estimates (straight-line distance × 1.13). Check your truck GPS before you accept a load. Driving days assume the 11-hour driving limit.

Who hauls out of Amarillo

About half of the for-hire carriers based in Amarillo run a single truck or less, and about a third run two to five. That's who we work for: owner-operators and small fleets who want a dispatcher handling the load boards, broker calls and paperwork. The truck count above also includes truck dealer, leasing and utility fleets.

Largest for-hire carriers based in Amarillo

By trucks reported to FMCSA, from the Company Census File for companies with a physical address in Amarillo, TX, as of October 31, 2026. Listed for reference only; Fleetorica isn't affiliated with these companies. Check any carrier or broker with our carrier and broker lookup.

Truck parking and weigh stations

Locations and mileposts are from TxDOT's safety rest area list, checked in October 2026. TxDOT doesn't post truck space counts by site. Source

TxDOT's 2026 Statewide Truck Parking Assessment counted about 36,000 truck parking spaces in Texas and found 64% of locations over capacity at the peak hour. TxDOT provides free overnight truck parking for up to 24 hours at its public sites; most parking around Amarillo is at private truck stops. Source

Weigh stations

We couldn't find a permanent weigh station near Amarillo or a published state list that shows one. Texas DPS Commercial Vehicle Enforcement troopers are responsible for enforcing size, weight, registration and operating authority rules on commercial vehicles statewide. Source

Freight calendar for Amarillo and Texas

When freight picks up in and around Amarillo. Beef ships all year; bars show the months for crops, and each line links its official source. Crop lines are Texas statewide, and Panhandle harvests often run later.

What we book, by truck type

Reefer

Boxed beef and ground beef out of Amarillo move by reefer all year. We confirm the temperature, the pulp and the appointment before we book.

Dry van

Food distribution, packaging and building products ship in dry vans. We look for the reload before you deliver so you're not deadheading across the Panhandle.

Flatbed

Gear drives, aircraft-plant equipment and farm and feedyard equipment keep flatbeds and step decks busy. We check securement, tarps and any oversize permit before you go.

Power only

Plants and distribution centers on I-40 put preloaded trailers on the market. We confirm the trailer, the pickup number and the dock hours before you go.

Box truck

Store and foodservice deliveries around Amarillo and Canyon suit 26-foot box trucks.

How we dispatch here

• We plan your 10-hour break before you leave, because the nearest TxDOT rest areas east of Amarillo on I-40 are about an hour away
• For beef plant and cold storage pickups, we confirm the appointment, the temperature and the gate rules before you go
• We check DriveTexas for closures on I-40 and I-27 before we set your pickup time
• Texas DPS Commercial Vehicle Enforcement checks size, weight and authority statewide, so we keep your paperwork and scale tickets in order
• Interstate carriers only need their USDOT number and MC. Loads that start and end in Texas need TxDMV intrastate operating authority

State rules, permits and taxes are on our Texas dispatch page.

Pricing

A percentage of the load's gross, quoted for your truck and lanes, charged only on loads we book. No contract, and your first load is free.

Other cities we cover in Texas

Austin · Corpus Christi · Dallas · El Paso · Fort Worth · Houston · Laredo · San Antonio

Questions carriers ask