The B6541 follows the route formerly taken by the A67 (and before the 1960s, the A176) between Thornaby on Tees and Middlesbrough, on the south side of the River Tees. Given that the road is some distance east of the A1 it is not known why it has a 6-zone number.
The road starts at one of the roundabouts at the A66/A1130GSJ on the eastern edge of Thornaby and heads east along Middlesbrough Road, quickly finding itself sandwiched between the railway line on the left and A66 on the right. We go through a GSJ leading to Teesside Park but have no connection to it. We cross the Old River Tees and the two roads now move apart slightly, giving space for a few buildings including a line of houses to sit between the two. We then go under the A66/A19 interchange.
We continue alongside the railway line into a residential area, then it moves away to the left and is replaced by industry. The road then diverts from the old road to cross a roundabout GSJ with the A66, where we also meet the A1032. On the far side we pass a Lidl and an industrial estate, with the houses behind a wall to the right, and continue along Newport Road to traffic lights on the B1272. The B6541 ends here, with the road ahead into Middlesbrough town centre now unclassified.