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

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2021-05-10</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

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

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001424105</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Ingram James A</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>COO, Asset-Light Logistics</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2021-05-10</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>7174</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>88.883</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>40300</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">The price reported in Column 4 is weighed price. These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $88.62 to $89.44 per share. Specifically, there were 2,653 shares sold at $88.62, 46 shares sold at $88.76, 223 shares sold at $88.77, 300 shares sold at $88.79, 200 shares sold at $88.791, 835 shares sold at $88.82, 100 shares sold at $88.83, 200 shares sold at $88.90, 10 shares sold at $88.95, 140 shares sold at $89.05, 200 shares sold at $89.07, 100 shares sold at $89.072, 400 shares sold at $89.12, 100 shares sold at $89.142, 100 shares sold at $89.16, 200 shares sold at $89.17, 8 shares sold at $89.18, 400 shares sold at $89.24, 500 shares sold at $89.25, 200 shares sold at $89.30, 150 shares sold at $89.37, 100 shares sold at $89.43, 9 shares sold at $89.44.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ James A. Ingram</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2021-05-12</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
