Best route from San Diego to Indiana heavy load

Take 8 down around Salton Sea and Phoenix so you don't hit Phoenix traffic, then continue onto 10 and take that to where it converges with 20, which you will take to 35, north to 40 which you will take to I believe it is 44 or 49, through Missouri up to 70, then straight shot. The only grades you will hit at all are coming out of California and frankly it's a steep climb but the descent heading east isn't nearly as bad as the descent going in to Cali. You have some extremely minor grades around Tuscon on 10. Just keep in mind that you'll have to take the bypass through Phoenix if you 10 it the whole way. I avoid that entirely by taking 8, which is also completely desolate 99% of the time and you won't have to worry about people cutting you off and braking hard and then lugging a heavy ### load for 5 miles to get back up to speed.

 

Get over the pulling hills panic.

I ran a lot of loads from SoCal to the upper Midwest. Go east on I-8, the I-10 to I-20. The fastest route would then take TX-70 north (just east of Sweetwater, TX) to Roby, US-180 east to Anson, then north on US-277 to Wichita Falls, TX. Then north (east) on I-44 to St. Louis to catch I-70 (using the southern I-255 bypass around St. Louis).

This route has tolls on I-44 in Oklahoma. The Sweetwater to Wichita Falls routing will have a grand total of two traffic lights and other than Roby and Anson the speed limits are all at least freeway speed. US-277 is all divided four lane highway, with most of it at 70+ mph.

 

You mean adult diapers so you can conserve your time by not stopping?

HE HE HEE...

 

That is a problem. A biggie. Does your company have to heading to the nearest shop?

 

That's the route I would take and I pay for the fuel. It's actually like 30 more miles but you'll save up to an hour avoiding Phoenix any time of day, and on 8 you'll save easily an hour because nobody is ever on 8.

Net savings of probably 2 hours or so. I have run several 700 mile days by taking 8. The best time I went from El Paso to Jarupa Valley in 11 hours and averaged 68, at 8.8mpg... was a light load, but in a company truck I could have easily done 650. Just gotta keep that door closed and drive.