Lane · STEP · Oct 2026

Ames, IA to Houston, TX step deck rate

$4,306step deck

+3.4% from last month

Per mile: $4.28
Distance: 1,005 mi
Typical range: $3,617–$4,995
Transit: 3 days

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Step deck · estimated all-in cost per load · monthly

Ames to Houston price history

3 months: +8.6%
1 year: +18.6%
5 years: +24.8%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $3,293
Fuel: $1,013
All-in estimate: $4,306

Return trip

Houston → Ames$3,565

This direction runs 21% above the return trip. Leaving IA prices above the national average and arriving in TX prices below it.

Ames to Houston by truck type

Estimated cost from Ames, IA to Houston, TX by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$3,251	$3.23	$2,894 – $3,609
53' refrigerated	$3,875	$3.86	$3,372 – $4,379
48' flatbed	$3,948	$3.93	$3,396 – $4,501
Step deck	$4,306	$4.28	$3,617 – $4,995
Power only	$2,860	$2.85	$2,488 – $3,232
Hotshot	$2,158	$2.15	$1,791 – $2,525
26' box truck	$2,119	$2.11	$1,801 – $2,437
Sprinter van	$1,300	$1.29	$1,092 – $1,509

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The index is an estimate. For a price you can act on, ask connected freight providers for a live 53' dry van rate, or send the load details and get quoted for any truck type.

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More lanes from Ames

Step deck lanes from Ames, IA
To	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	1,207 mi	$6,451	$5.34	$5,418 – $7,483	3 d
Los Angeles, CA	1,713 mi	$6,423	$3.75	$5,395 – $7,451	4 d
Chicago, IL	360 mi	$2,072	$5.76	$1,740 – $2,403	1 d
Phoenix, AZ	1,371 mi	$5,882	$4.29	$4,941 – $6,823	3 d
Philadelphia, PA	1,147 mi	$5,892	$5.14	$4,950 – $6,835	3 d
San Antonio, TX	1,074 mi	$4,534	$4.22	$3,809 – $5,260	3 d
San Diego, CA	1,690 mi	$6,350	$3.76	$5,334 – $7,366	4 d
Dallas, TX	780 mi	$3,563	$4.57	$2,993 – $4,134	2 d

More lanes into Houston

Step deck lanes into Houston, TX
From	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	1,675 mi	$5,893	$3.52	$4,950 – $6,836	4 d
Los Angeles, CA	1,627 mi	$7,687	$4.72	$6,457 – $8,917	4 d
Chicago, IL	1,106 mi	$5,061	$4.58	$4,251 – $5,870	3 d
Phoenix, AZ	1,198 mi	$3,434	$2.87	$2,884 – $3,983	3 d
Philadelphia, PA	1,585 mi	$4,995	$3.15	$4,196 – $5,794	4 d
San Antonio, TX	224 mi	$1,471	$6.57	$1,235 – $1,706	1 d
San Diego, CA	1,532 mi	$7,308	$4.77	$6,139 – $8,477	4 d
Dallas, TX	263 mi	$1,580	$6.01	$1,327 – $1,833	1 d

About this lane

How much does it cost to ship a truckload from Ames, IA to Houston, TX?

A Step deck from Ames, IA to Houston, TX is estimated at $4,306 all-in in October 2026, or $4.28 a mile over about 1,005 mi. Quotes typically land between $3,617 and $4,995.

How far is Ames, IA from Houston, TX by truck?

About 1,005 mi by road, estimated from the straight-line distance. A solo driver covers it in roughly 3 days of transit.

How much of the price is fuel?

About $1,013 of the $4,306 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $3,293 is linehaul.

Is it cheaper to ship from Houston, TX to Ames, IA?

The reverse direction is estimated at $3,565, which makes Ames, IA to Houston, TX 21% more expensive. Direction matters because trucks are scarcer leaving some markets than others.

Lane history applies the current origin and destination adjustments to the national series back to December 2003. Methodology