[vericiab]

In freight "backhaul" typically refers to transporting goods during the return journey. During the principle (non-return) journey, often the starting location is more central, like a distribution center, and the destination is a smaller satellite location like a store. So when something is backhauled, that tends to mean it's transported from the smaller satellite location to the central location.

Maybe that's where the term came from?

[rusk]

Maybe actually, or at the very least it could explain the confusion. Better than some of the other explanations I’ve heard for sure.