Is Interstate 40 traffic really that bad? We asked the experts: long-haul truckers

Interstate 40 has a bad reputation in Knoxville. How many times have you complained about the backed-up traffic on your commute?

But, like so much in life, maybe it's a matter of perspective. So Knox News sought the opinions of the real interstate traffic experts: long-haul truckers.

You know, those people driving the 18-wheelers across the country. The ones who have seen the good, bad and ugly interstate stretches across their careers.

The ones that will play a crucial role as the holiday season rolls around, hauling gifts you're sending to cross-country relatives and refueling gas stations so you can make that holiday road trip.

Yes, I-40 is busy, especially the stretch that merges with Interstate 75 for about 18 miles. In fact, it's one of the busiest stretches of road in all of Tennessee.

On a single day in 2022, 218,583 vehicles drove on I-40/75 between North Weisgarber Road and Morrell Road, according to data from the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization.

But the experts we asked had a surprising response: I-40 isn't that bad. In fact, Knoxville is actually among the best places to drive for truckers.

"I would still - and my drivers would still - rather drive through Knoxville than Nashville or Chattanooga," said Justin McFarland, business development manager at logistics company White Oak Transportation.

Interstates 40 and 75 through Knox County see upward of 20,000 commercial trucks per day, according to estimates in a 2021 study by the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization.

McFarland has heard from lots of drivers, and they all tell him Knoxville is one of the best places to drive through. He used to be a driver himself, but now works in logistics.

White Oak is a third-party logistics company based in Decatur, Alabama, that opened a Knoxville office in August. It works with trucks that primarily haul paper and cardboard.

McFarland said drivers have seen an increase in traffic through Knoxville over the years, but it's not as bad as other cities in the region or even in the state.

What makes I-40 in Knoxville better?

If Knoxville is the only place you drive, it probably seems bad. But for truckers who've driven thousands of miles across the country, Knoxville traffic could be worse.

Jesse Livezey, 28, drives 65,000 to 90,000 miles a year for chemical trucking company Highway Transport, primarily through the South. Atlanta and Nashville are frequent destinations, plus he's driven through some of the country's largest cities: New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles.

Comparatively, Livesey said he sees less construction and congestion and fewer accidents in Knoxville than he does in other cities.

"For Knoxville being the size of the city that it is, it can get pretty hectic. Usually in the mornings during rush hour when people are trying to get to work. And then again in the evening time when everybody's trying to get back from work," Livezey said. "But I think overall, generally speaking, it's really not that bad."

Gregory Bales, 60, a driver for Pilot Company who averages about 100,000 miles a year, mostly throughout the Southeast, called Knoxville "one of the better places to drive through."

McFarland said Knoxville's interstate is better suited for its size and has enough room to deal with its growth compared to larger cities like Atlanta and Nashville. He said those larger places have outgrown their interstate systems, so particularly busy traffic overextends the interstate's capacity.

What are the worst cities for traffic?

Nashville and Atlanta would take the titles of cities with the busiest and most frustrating interstates, which is pretty unsurprising.

Bales went with Nashville, saying the interstate system in the Music City is poorly designed and things get hectic with so many interstates merging at one point.

"For example, the southbound (Interstate) 65 traffic merging into (Interstate) 40, it all merges in on the left hand side of the interstate. But then you go two miles down the road and I-65 south's exit is off to the right hand side of the interstate," Bales said. "So there's always crossing traffic."

Livezey went with Atlanta, saying it's always more congested and has more construction.

"(Atlanta's) traffic — I'm not trying to crap on it or anything — it's very, very rough," Livesey said. "The drivers down there, they seem like they're in much more of a hurry to get to places. (There's) definitely a lack of awareness (with) people on their cell phones."

Could anything make I-40 through Knoxville better?

Surprisingly, the truck drivers said not much could or should be done to improve the Knoxville interstate road conditions. Beyond a pothole here and there, McFarland said his drivers don't have very many complaints about the pavement.

Both Bales and Livezey said Knoxville doesn't have any more traffic or accidents than other cities they drive through, and it might even be better.

Really, the Knoxville commuters are the biggest problem.

While Knoxville drivers aren't particularly terrible, Livezey said that, similarly to Atlanta and really the rest of the country, he sees a lot of Knoxvillians on their phones while driving. It's annoying, but as a truck driver he said he's used to it and to being super attentive to the road.

But when he has time to take a look at his surroundings, Livezey said the scenery around the Knoxville area makes it one of his favorite places to pass through. Especially when the sunset hits the Great Smoky Mountains.

Silas Sloan is the growth and development reporter. Email silas.sloan@knoxnews.com. Twitter @silasloan. Instagram @knox.growth.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Interstate 40 traffic in Knoxville: Long-haul truckers share thoughts