Here is the deal with I-10: this is the southern transcontinental route, stretching 2,460 miles from Jacksonville, Florida to the Arizona-California line west of Phoenix. It runs through some of the hottest, flattest, and most desolate terrain in the lower 48. It also runs through some of the busiest port cities and border crossings in the country. The contrast is the defining feature — you go from bumper-to-bumper Houston traffic to 80 miles of nothing in the New Mexico desert in the same trip.
Distance management is your number one job on I-10. This is a long haul corridor where fuel planning, rest planning, and weather awareness separate the professionals from the guys who end up on the shoulder. Hurricane season from June through November can shut down the entire Gulf Coast section with zero notice. Summer heat in the western half kills tires and overheats engines. Respect the conditions and plan around them.
Florida — 365 Miles
I-10 in Florida runs east-west across the northern part of the state, from Jacksonville to Pensacola. This is not the Florida that tourists see. This is pine forests, agricultural land, and military installations. The road is in good shape and the terrain is dead flat.
Your key interchange is the I-10/I-75 split near Lake City. Northbound I-75 traffic heading to Atlanta merges and splits here, and the interchange backs up during peak hours. Time this for off-peak if you can.
Tallahassee generates state government traffic during the week but it is manageable. The Pensacola area has significant military traffic from NAS Pensacola and Eglin Air Force Base. Military loads with escorts are common — give them room.
Hurricane season is the wild card for this entire section. When a storm enters the Gulf, I-10 becomes an evacuation route. Contraflow operations can be activated, meaning westbound lanes carry eastbound evacuation traffic. When this happens, you are off the road. Period. Monitor NOAA and your carrier’s weather alerts from June through November.
Alabama — 66 Miles
Alabama gives you 66 miles of I-10, and nearly all of it involves Mobile. The Port of Mobile is a deep-water port with growing operations. If you are servicing the port, access routes from I-10 are well-marked but congested during shift changes.
The George Wallace Tunnel under Mobile Bay is the critical point. This tunnel restricts hazmat loads — if you are carrying hazmat, you are going around on US-90 or I-65. The tunnel is a two-lane bore each direction and backs up during rush hour. Rear-end collision rates in the tunnel approach are higher than the corridor average. Keep your following distance generous.
Alabama troopers patrol I-10 actively. Get through Mobile efficiently and you are into Louisiana.
Louisiana — 274 Miles
Louisiana is where I-10 gets real. Two words: Atchafalaya Basin. The Atchafalaya Basin Bridge is 18.2 miles long, running over swampland between Baton Rouge and Lafayette. It is the longest bridge on the Interstate Highway System. There is no shoulder for most of it. If you break down on the Atchafalaya, you are sitting in a travel lane until a wrecker can reach you. Make sure your equipment is right before you get on this bridge. Check your tires, check your fluids, check your fuel level. Running out of diesel on the Atchafalaya is a bad day that becomes an expensive day fast.
Baton Rouge and the I-10/I-12 split is a major decision point. I-12 bypasses Baton Rouge and New Orleans to the north — if you do not have business in either city, I-12 saves you significant time and congestion exposure. If you must run through Baton Rouge, the Mississippi River Bridge on I-10 is a known bottleneck. Two narrow lanes each direction, an aggressive merge, and heavy local traffic. Time this crossing for off-peak or accept the delay.
New Orleans on I-10 is a lesson in elevated highway driving. The Pontchartrain Expressway and the twin spans are high-profile structures with crosswind exposure. When tropical weather is in the Gulf, wind advisories for high-profile vehicles go up fast. Do not ignore them. A truck blown off the Pontchartrain Causeway approach is not a theoretical risk — it happens.
Louisiana weigh stations are active and they check permits carefully. The state has specific requirements for oversize and overweight loads that differ from neighboring states. Have your permits in order before you cross the state line. Louisiana fuel taxes are collected at the pump, but make sure your IFTA reporting is accurate — they audit.
The food at Louisiana truck stops is genuinely good. That is not a joke. Take advantage of it.
Texas — 880 Miles
Eight hundred and eighty miles. Texas owns the longest single-state segment on I-10, and it earns every mile of it. This stretch defines what long-haul trucking means in America.
From the Louisiana border to Beaumont, you are in refinery country. The air smells like petrochemicals and the truck traffic is heavy with tankers and flatbeds servicing the refineries. Beaumont to Houston is congested, industrial, and unforgiving during rush hour. Houston itself is a maze of interchanges — I-10, I-610, I-45, US-59 all converge in a tangle that requires you to know your route before you enter the metro.
West of Houston, the landscape changes. San Antonio is your next major metro, and the I-10/I-35 interchange is a high-volume convergence of north-south and east-west truck traffic. San Antonio is a distribution hub and the truck counts reflect it.
Then comes the real Texas. West of San Antonio, the distances between services stretch dramatically. The run from San Antonio to El Paso is roughly 550 miles of high desert, oil field traffic around the Permian Basin, and long stretches of nothing. Fuel up when you can. The towns of Fort Stockton, Van Horn, and Sierra Blanca are your service options, and they are spaced far apart.
El Paso is the border. NAFTA traffic, customs operations, and the congestion that comes with international trade define the western end of Texas I-10. If you are running cross-border loads, El Paso operations require advance planning. Customs wait times vary from 30 minutes to several hours depending on the day and the inspection queue.
Texas heat from May through September is a tire killer. Check your tire pressures for hot weather and watch your coolant temps on grades. Blowouts on the shoulder in 110-degree heat with no shade are dangerous. Carry water for yourself as well as for your rig.
New Mexico — 164 Miles
New Mexico gives you 164 miles of Chihuahuan Desert. Services are limited. This is not a stretch where you assume the next exit has fuel. The towns of Deming and Las Cruces are your reliable service points. Between them, options are sparse.
Las Cruces is the metro area, such as it is. The I-10/I-25 interchange connects you to Albuquerque and the north-south corridor. If you need truck service or tires, Las Cruces is your best bet in southern New Mexico.
The terrain is deceptively flat with some rolling grades. Elevation runs between 3,800 and 4,500 feet through most of this section, which means your engine is working harder than sea-level performance would suggest. Turbocharged engines handle this fine, but watch your temps on hot days.
Wind is a factor in the New Mexico desert. The Chihuahuan Desert funnels wind across I-10, and high-profile empty trailers get pushed around. If wind advisories are posted, take them seriously. New Mexico DOT will close roads to high-profile vehicles when sustained winds exceed thresholds, typically around 60 mph gusts.
Border Patrol checkpoints on I-10 in New Mexico are permanent. You will be stopped, you will be asked about citizenship, and your cab may be inspected. This is routine. Have your paperwork accessible and be straightforward with the agents. Delays are typically under 10 minutes unless the line is backed up.
Arizona — 392 Miles
Arizona is the home stretch of I-10, running from the New Mexico border through Tucson and Phoenix to the California line. The defining challenge is heat. When ambient temperatures exceed 110 degrees Fahrenheit, which happens regularly from June through August, everything on your truck is stressed — tires, brakes, coolant systems, and you.
Tucson is a growing metro with increasing I-10 congestion. The corridor through town is straightforward but volume has climbed in recent years.
The run from Tucson to Phoenix is roughly 110 miles of Sonoran Desert. The elevation drops from 2,400 feet to 1,100 feet, which means temperatures climb as you descend. Phoenix metro I-10 is congested during commute hours. The I-10/I-17 interchange downtown is a known bottleneck.
West of Phoenix toward California, you cross some of the hottest real estate in North America. If your coolant temp is climbing, pull over and address it before you have a breakdown where the tow truck is two hours away and the pavement temperature is 160 degrees.
Arizona weigh stations are active and the state participates in PrePass. Arizona highway patrol is professional and focused on commercial vehicle safety — logs, equipment, securement. Be compliant and the interaction is quick.
Running I-10 end to end is a serious commitment. Three to four days depending on your hours. The drivers who do it well respect the heat, respect the distances, and never assume the next fuel stop is open. Carry extra water, carry your patience, and know that this corridor rewards the prepared. The Gulf Coast section and the desert section are essentially two different routes bolted together at Houston. Plan for both conditions and you will run it clean.