Lane · STEP · Oct 2026

Ames, IA to San Jose, CA step deck rate

$6,707step deck

+3.3% from last month

Per mile: $3.72
Distance: 1,802 mi
Typical range: $5,634–$7,780
Transit: 4 days

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

Ames to San Jose price history

3 months: +8.4%
1 year: +18.5%
5 years: +24.8%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $4,890
Fuel: $1,817
All-in estimate: $6,707

Return trip

San Jose → Ames$8,155

This direction runs 18% below the return trip. Leaving IA prices above the national average and arriving in CA prices below it.

Ames to San Jose by truck type

Estimated cost from Ames, IA to San Jose, CA by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$5,131	$2.85	$4,566 – $5,695
53' refrigerated	$6,112	$3.39	$5,317 – $6,906
48' flatbed	$6,162	$3.42	$5,300 – $7,025
Step deck	$6,707	$3.72	$5,634 – $7,780
Power only	$4,554	$2.53	$3,962 – $5,146
Hotshot	$3,438	$1.91	$2,853 – $4,022
26' box truck	$3,361	$1.86	$2,857 – $3,865
Sprinter van	$2,052	$1.14	$1,724 – $2,381

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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
Houston, TX	1,005 mi	$4,306	$4.28	$3,617 – $4,995	3 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

More lanes into San Jose

Step deck lanes into San Jose, CA
From	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	3,009 mi	$9,547	$3.17	$8,019 – $11,074	7 d
Los Angeles, CA	350 mi	$2,505	$7.16	$2,104 – $2,906	1 d
Chicago, IL	2,162 mi	$8,569	$3.96	$7,198 – $9,940	5 d
Houston, TX	1,890 mi	$5,948	$3.15	$4,997 – $6,900	5 d
Phoenix, AZ	713 mi	$2,244	$3.15	$1,885 – $2,603	2 d
Philadelphia, PA	2,946 mi	$8,316	$2.82	$6,986 – $9,647	7 d
San Antonio, TX	1,704 mi	$5,443	$3.19	$4,572 – $6,314	4 d
San Diego, CA	480 mi	$3,006	$6.26	$2,525 – $3,487	2 d

About this lane

How much does it cost to ship a truckload from Ames, IA to San Jose, CA?

A Step deck from Ames, IA to San Jose, CA is estimated at $6,707 all-in in October 2026, or $3.72 a mile over about 1,802 mi. Quotes typically land between $5,634 and $7,780.

How far is Ames, IA from San Jose, CA by truck?

About 1,802 mi by road, estimated from the straight-line distance. A solo driver covers it in roughly 4 days of transit.

How much of the price is fuel?

About $1,817 of the $6,707 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $4,890 is linehaul.

Is it cheaper to ship from San Jose, CA to Ames, IA?

The reverse direction is estimated at $8,155, which makes Ames, IA to San Jose, CA 18% cheaper. 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