Lane · FLAT · Oct 2026

Buffalo, NY to Chicago, IL flatbed rate

$2,174flatbed

+3.3% from last month

Per mile: $4.04
Distance: 538 mi
Typical range: $1,870–$2,479
Transit: 2 days

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Flatbed · estimated all-in cost per load · monthly

Buffalo to Chicago price history

3 months: +8.6%
1 year: +18.5%
5 years: +25.1%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $1,648
Fuel: $526
All-in estimate: $2,174

Return trip

Chicago → Buffalo$3,575

This direction runs 39% below the return trip. Leaving NY prices above the national average and arriving in IL prices below it.

Buffalo to Chicago by truck type

Estimated cost from Buffalo, NY to Chicago, IL by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$1,761	$3.27	$1,567 – $1,955
53' refrigerated	$2,101	$3.91	$1,828 – $2,374
48' flatbed	$2,174	$4.04	$1,870 – $2,479
Step deck	$2,379	$4.42	$1,998 – $2,759
Power only	$1,528	$2.84	$1,330 – $1,727
Hotshot	$1,152	$2.14	$956 – $1,348
26' box truck	$1,140	$2.12	$969 – $1,311
Sprinter van	$704	$1.31	$592 – $817

Live market check

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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 Buffalo

48' flatbed lanes from Buffalo, NY
To	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	350 mi	$2,292	$6.55	$1,971 – $2,613	1 d
Los Angeles, CA	2,601 mi	$7,697	$2.96	$6,619 – $8,774	6 d
Houston, TX	1,518 mi	$4,981	$3.28	$4,284 – $5,678	4 d
Phoenix, AZ	2,242 mi	$7,437	$3.32	$6,396 – $8,478	5 d
Philadelphia, PA	327 mi	$2,102	$6.43	$1,808 – $2,397	1 d
San Antonio, TX	1,688 mi	$5,449	$3.23	$4,686 – $6,212	4 d
San Diego, CA	2,572 mi	$7,619	$2.96	$6,553 – $8,686	6 d
Dallas, TX	1,412 mi	$4,689	$3.32	$4,033 – $5,346	3 d

More lanes into Chicago

48' flatbed lanes into Chicago, IL
From	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	847 mi	$2,984	$3.52	$2,566 – $3,401	2 d
Los Angeles, CA	2,063 mi	$8,247	$4.00	$7,092 – $9,402	5 d
Houston, TX	1,106 mi	$3,448	$3.12	$2,965 – $3,931	3 d
Phoenix, AZ	1,705 mi	$4,019	$2.36	$3,456 – $4,581	4 d
Philadelphia, PA	787 mi	$2,510	$3.19	$2,159 – $2,861	2 d
San Antonio, TX	1,236 mi	$3,769	$3.05	$3,241 – $4,296	3 d
San Diego, CA	2,034 mi	$8,145	$4.00	$7,005 – $9,286	5 d
Dallas, TX	942 mi	$3,044	$3.23	$2,618 – $3,470	2 d

About this lane

How much does it cost to ship a truckload from Buffalo, NY to Chicago, IL?

A 48' flatbed from Buffalo, NY to Chicago, IL is estimated at $2,174 all-in in October 2026, or $4.04 a mile over about 538 mi. Quotes typically land between $1,870 and $2,479.

How far is Buffalo, NY from Chicago, IL by truck?

About 538 mi by road, estimated from the straight-line distance. A solo driver covers it in roughly 2 days of transit.

How much of the price is fuel?

About $526 of the $2,174 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $1,648 is linehaul.

Is it cheaper to ship from Chicago, IL to Buffalo, NY?

The reverse direction is estimated at $3,575, which makes Buffalo, NY to Chicago, IL 39% 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