<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2020-11-24</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000894405</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>ARCBEST CORP /DE/</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>ARCB</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001493176</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Newcity Michael E</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>8401 MCCLURE DRIVE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>FORT SMITH</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>AR</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>72916</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>SVP - Chf Innovation Offcr(1)</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share</value>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2020-11-24</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>9670</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>42.5207</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>50600</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Full title of officer is ArcBest Corporation Senior Vice President - Chief Innovation Officer &amp; President of ArcBest Technologies, Inc.
ArcBest Technologies, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of ArcBest Corporation.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">The price reported in Column 4 is weighted price. These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $42.40 to $42.65 per share. Specifically, there were 320 shares sold at $42.40, 20 shares sold at $42.41, 200 shares sold at $42.43, 412 shares sold at $42.46, 775 shares sold at $42.47, 110 shares sold at $42.48, 226 shares sold at $42.485, 2,600 shares sold at $42.49, 200 shares sold at $42.50, 196 shares sold at $42.51, 100 shares sold at $42.52, 1,114 shares sold at $42.53, 100 shares sold at $42.535, 100 shares sold at $42.545, 532 shares sold at $42.55, 100 shares sold at $42.56, 301 shares sold at $42.57, 818 shares sold at $42.58, 645 shares sold at $42.59, 100 shares sold at $42.605, 101 shares sold at $42.61, 400 shares sold at $42.62, 100 shares sold at $42.625 and 100 shares sold at $42.65.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Michael E. Newcity</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2020-11-25</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
