Halfway along I-40
Russellville sits on I-40 about 75 miles from Little Rock and 85 from Fort Smith, and it is the largest town between them. Every car hauler crossing Arkansas on the interstate passes its exits, so a stop here adds nothing to the trip. Pickups tend to come together quickly, and prices stay close to what the two bigger cities see.
Most trucks leave the interstate at Highway 7, which becomes Arkansas Avenue. The motels, fuel stops, and stores near that exit have the open pavement a carrier needs, and many handoffs happen there.
Plant outages and contract workers
Arkansas Nuclear One, on Lake Dardanelle west of town, is the state’s only nuclear power plant. During refueling outages, hundreds of contract workers arrive for several weeks, and they come from all over the country. Many drive. Others fly in and ship a truck, especially when they are going straight to another plant in another state afterward.
- Outage dates move. Book the inbound trip with a few days of slack, and schedule the outbound leg once you have a firm release date.
- Motels and RV parks. Delivery to a motel lot is easy. Campground loops are too tight for a carrier, so plan to meet at the entrance.
- Crew trucks. A pickup loaded with gear weighs far more than its listing. Take the tools out before shipping, because they are not covered on the trailer.
- The next job. We can send the vehicle directly to your next site. Give us the ZIP code of your lodging there.
The same service is there for permanent hires at the plant and at the food and manufacturing plants around town.
Arkansas Tech students
Arkansas Tech University’s campus is on the north side, along Arkansas Avenue. Most students are from Arkansas and drive themselves, but the engineering and nursing programs and a sizable international enrollment bring in people from much farther away.
One request is specific to them: an international student buys a car locally, uses it for a few years, and sells it at graduation to a buyer in another state. We can ship it to the buyer once the sale is settled. For move-in and move-out, the lots along Arkansas Avenue north of campus, close to I-40, are the usual meeting place.
Lake Dardanelle, Mount Nebo, and the river bridge
Lake Dardanelle hosts major bass tournaments, and the lake homes and marinas along it mean a steady number of boats. Boat transport is a separate service that we quote by phone.
Mount Nebo, across the river, is reached by a road with hairpin turns and grades so steep that long trailers are kept off it. If you have a cabin on the mountain, the handoff happens at the bottom, in Dardanelle. Dardanelle itself is just over the Arkansas River bridge on Highway 7, and we serve it along with Danville and Ola in Yell County.
Around Russellville
- East Main Street and Weir Road. The retail areas on the east side are near the interstate and have the largest lots.
- Downtown. A rail line runs through the middle of it, and trains block the crossings several times a day. Carriers load elsewhere.
- Highway 7 north. Toward Dover the road becomes a two-lane scenic route into the Ozarks. Dover is fine. Much farther up, expect a meeting point back in town.
- Pottsville and Atkins. Both are east along I-40 and simple for a truck to reach.
Along the interstate we also cover Clarksville to the west and Morrilton to the east.
When I-40 slows down
The stretch of I-40 between Little Rock and Fort Smith carries some of the heaviest truck traffic in the state. When a wreck shuts it, the detour is US 64, the old highway that runs through the middle of Russellville, and Main Street fills with trucks for hours.
Your driver cannot predict that, but can plan around the usual pinch points: Friday afternoons, the start and end of holiday weekends, and winter mornings after freezing rain. Ask for a midweek pickup if your dates allow it.
Routes from Russellville
East and west along I-40, then farther out: estimated miles and how long the trip usually takes.
| Destination | Distance | Typical time on the truck |
|---|---|---|
| Little Rock, AR | About 75 miles | 1 to 2 days |
| Fort Smith, AR | About 85 miles | 1 to 2 days |
| Tulsa, OK | About 200 miles | 1 to 2 days |
| Memphis, TN | About 210 miles | 1 to 2 days |
| Oklahoma City, OK | About 265 miles | 2 to 4 days |
| Dallas, TX | About 360 miles | 2 to 4 days |
| Kansas City, MO | About 385 miles | 2 to 4 days |
| Nashville, TN | About 420 miles | 2 to 4 days |
| Atlanta, GA | About 595 miles | 2 to 4 days |
| Phoenix, AZ | About 1,265 miles | 4 to 6 days |
Mileage is approximate. Transit times are typical ranges once the vehicle is loaded, not guarantees. Weather, traffic, and other stops on the truck can shift them.
Russellville car shipping questions
I am here for an outage and staying at a motel. Can the truck deliver there?
Yes. Motel lots near I-40 are easy for a carrier. Let the front desk know a truck will stop for about half an hour, and be there yourself to sign.
Can you ship my truck from this outage to my next job?
Yes. Book it once your release date is confirmed. If the next site is in a small town, add a day or two to the delivery estimate.
Do you pick up on Mount Nebo?
At the base, not the top. The road up is too steep and tight for a car hauler. Bring the vehicle down to Dardanelle and the driver will meet you there.
Can an Arkansas Tech student ship a car home for the summer?
Yes. Early May is busy, so book a couple of weeks ahead and choose a pickup day after the last exam.
How far ahead should outage workers book?
As soon as you know your report date. A week of notice is usually enough here, because so many carriers already pass on I-40.
Do you ship bass boats?
By phone, yes. We need the length, the height on the trailer, and whether the trailer has working lights and good tires.