Route Question--Ft. Worth To SLC

I've got a couple routes in mind and want to know what you all think:

Route 1 (this is my preferred route):

TX: US-287 to US-87 to the NM border NM: US-87 to I-25N to the CO border CO: I-25 to US-50W (starts in Pueblo) to I-70W (Grand Junction) to UT border UT: I-70 to US-6 (191) to I-15

1243 Miles Total

Route 2:

TX: US-287 to I-40 to NM border

NM: I-40 to US-491 to CO border

CO: US-491 to UT border UT: US-491 to US-191 to I-70 to US-6 (191) to I-15

1267 Miles Total

Sorry for the weird spacing.. couldn't get it to work right. I checked my atlas and both routes are legal for trucks. I'll be heavy, hauling a load of beer, and traveling at night so traffic shouldn't be an issue. Has anyone taken US-50 from Pueblo to Grand Junction in CO? That's the part I'm worried about. Well, Raton Pass is going to suck too, but it's not that long. How bad is 50 going to slow me down with all this weight? The second route seems just dandy until I get off I-40 and then I'm going past a bunch of national parks, so that doesn't look great to me.

I'm really trying to make this trip in two "trucker days" (i.e. two 11 hr drive periods). If I can't I can't, but the whole point of this is to get me up to SLC to swap trucks. If I can make it by Friday morning I get to meet my ultra super cool driver leader, the one who is way cooler than Rainy's. I'm leaving tonight at 2200 MDT.

Thanks in advance for any input.

The first route will take you over Monarch Pass. It will be slow. The second route will take you through some very pretty country and would probably be the faster route, though I've never taken 491 from Shiprock to 191 in Utah.

Check the weather before you go that way, and make sure you have chains if you take the first route. (Actually, make sure you have chains no matter which route you take -- Colorado requires them Sept. 1 - May 30 on I-70 in the mountains.)

Others may have better ideas. I usually go 287 all the way to I-70 in Limon, then I-70 to Green River, UT, then up to Provo, but I live in Denver so I try to get through there when I can.

Thanks Bud! Yeah I was looking at it and 50 does look like it would take longer.

I messaged my dm about it and the planner ended up taking me off that run and giving me something to denver, then preplanning me on another run up to WA that I'll t-call in Salt Lake.

Another route I've used from the DFW area to SLC is to take I-25 from Denver up to I-80 in Cheyenne, then over to SLC. That can be faster than I-70 over the mountains in Colorado. Especially in winter, I look at the weather on both routes. They can shut down either one, but there's more snow removal equipment on I-70 and steeper and longer grades. There are also a lot more 4-wheelers between Denver and Vail going to ski resorts, especially on weekends. Wyoming gets more wind.

I run Dallas to Denver fairly regularly, and take 287 all the way to I-70, then West to Denver. If I had to run from Dallas to SLC, I'd take 287 to 70W (Denver), 25N (Cheyenne), 80W (SLC).

287 is a good road to run between Dallas and I-70, with few slowdowns. There are plenty of places to get fuel and food, and quite a few truck stops, small and large.