Lane · STEP · Oct 2026

Austin, TX to Santa Monica, CA step deck rate

$4,783step deck

+3.2% from last month

Per mile: $3.27
Distance: 1,461 mi
Typical range: $4,018–$5,548
Transit: 4 days

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

Austin to Santa Monica price history

3 months: +8.6%
1 year: +18.5%
5 years: +24.8%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $3,310
Fuel: $1,473
All-in estimate: $4,783

Return trip

Santa Monica → Austin$7,025

This direction runs 32% below the return trip. Leaving TX prices below the national average and arriving in CA prices below it.

Austin to Santa Monica by truck type

Estimated cost from Austin, TX to Santa Monica, CA by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$3,643	$2.49	$3,243 – $4,044
53' refrigerated	$4,341	$2.97	$3,777 – $4,905
48' flatbed	$4,391	$3.01	$3,777 – $5,006
Step deck	$4,783	$3.27	$4,018 – $5,548
Power only	$3,225	$2.21	$2,806 – $3,644
Hotshot	$2,434	$1.67	$2,020 – $2,848
26' box truck	$2,383	$1.63	$2,026 – $2,740
Sprinter van	$1,457	$1.00	$1,224 – $1,691

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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 Austin

Step deck lanes from Austin, TX
To	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	1,785 mi	$7,598	$4.26	$6,382 – $8,814	4 d
Los Angeles, CA	1,455 mi	$4,767	$3.28	$4,004 – $5,529	4 d
Chicago, IL	1,149 mi	$3,874	$3.37	$3,254 – $4,494	3 d
Houston, TX	172 mi	$1,325	$7.70	$1,113 – $1,536	1 d
Phoenix, AZ	1,026 mi	$3,973	$3.87	$3,337 – $4,608	3 d
Philadelphia, PA	1,696 mi	$6,920	$4.08	$5,813 – $8,027	4 d
San Antonio, TX	87 mi	$1,086	$12.48	$912 – $1,259	1 d
San Diego, CA	1,360 mi	$4,508	$3.31	$3,787 – $5,230	3 d

More lanes into Santa Monica

Step deck lanes into Santa Monica, CA
From	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	2,907 mi	$9,252	$3.18	$7,772 – $10,733	7 d
Chicago, IL	2,069 mi	$8,245	$3.98	$6,926 – $9,564	5 d
Houston, TX	1,633 mi	$5,250	$3.22	$4,410 – $6,090	4 d
Phoenix, AZ	436 mi	$1,630	$3.74	$1,369 – $1,891	1 d
Philadelphia, PA	2,837 mi	$8,037	$2.83	$6,751 – $9,323	7 d
San Antonio, TX	1,431 mi	$4,701	$3.29	$3,949 – $5,454	4 d
San Diego, CA	135 mi	$1,675	$12.41	$1,407 – $1,943	1 d
Dallas, TX	1,480 mi	$4,834	$3.27	$4,061 – $5,608	4 d

About this lane

How much does it cost to ship a truckload from Austin, TX to Santa Monica, CA?

A Step deck from Austin, TX to Santa Monica, CA is estimated at $4,783 all-in in October 2026, or $3.27 a mile over about 1,461 mi. Quotes typically land between $4,018 and $5,548.

How far is Austin, TX from Santa Monica, CA by truck?

About 1,461 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 $1,473 of the $4,783 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $3,310 is linehaul.

Is it cheaper to ship from Santa Monica, CA to Austin, TX?

The reverse direction is estimated at $7,025, which makes Austin, TX to Santa Monica, CA 32% 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