Lane · FLAT · Oct 2026

Chicago, IL to Austin, TX flatbed rate

$4,784flatbed

+3.2% from last month

Per mile: $4.16
Distance: 1,149 mi
Typical range: $4,115–$5,454
Transit: 3 days

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Flatbed · estimated all-in cost per load · monthly

Chicago to Austin price history

3 months: +8.6%
1 year: +18.5%
5 years: +24.9%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $3,662
Fuel: $1,122
All-in estimate: $4,784

Return trip

Austin → Chicago$3,554

This direction runs 35% above the return trip. Leaving IL prices above the national average and arriving in TX prices below it.

Chicago to Austin by truck type

Estimated cost from Chicago, IL to Austin, TX by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$3,951	$3.44	$3,516 – $4,386
53' refrigerated	$4,709	$4.10	$4,097 – $5,321
48' flatbed	$4,784	$4.16	$4,115 – $5,454
Step deck	$5,215	$4.54	$4,381 – $6,050
Power only	$3,484	$3.03	$3,031 – $3,937
Hotshot	$2,629	$2.29	$2,182 – $3,076
26' box truck	$2,579	$2.24	$2,192 – $2,966
Sprinter van	$1,580	$1.38	$1,328 – $1,833

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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 Chicago

48' flatbed lanes from Chicago, IL
To	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	847 mi	$4,905	$5.79	$4,218 – $5,592	2 d
Los Angeles, CA	2,063 mi	$7,559	$3.66	$6,500 – $8,617	5 d
Houston, TX	1,106 mi	$4,642	$4.20	$3,992 – $5,291	3 d
Phoenix, AZ	1,705 mi	$7,071	$4.15	$6,081 – $8,061	4 d
Philadelphia, PA	787 mi	$4,421	$5.62	$3,802 – $5,040	2 d
San Antonio, TX	1,236 mi	$5,073	$4.10	$4,363 – $5,783	3 d
San Diego, CA	2,034 mi	$7,466	$3.67	$6,420 – $8,511	5 d
Dallas, TX	942 mi	$4,097	$4.35	$3,524 – $4,671	2 d

More lanes into Austin

48' flatbed lanes into Austin, TX
From	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	1,785 mi	$5,716	$3.20	$4,916 – $6,516	4 d
Los Angeles, CA	1,455 mi	$6,428	$4.42	$5,528 – $7,327	4 d
Houston, TX	172 mi	$1,203	$6.99	$1,034 – $1,371	1 d
Phoenix, AZ	1,026 mi	$2,787	$2.72	$2,397 – $3,177	3 d
Philadelphia, PA	1,696 mi	$4,858	$2.86	$4,178 – $5,539	4 d
San Antonio, TX	87 mi	$982	$11.29	$845 – $1,120	1 d
San Diego, CA	1,360 mi	$6,078	$4.47	$5,227 – $6,929	3 d
Dallas, TX	215 mi	$1,314	$6.11	$1,130 – $1,498	1 d

About this lane

How much does it cost to ship a truckload from Chicago, IL to Austin, TX?

A 48' flatbed from Chicago, IL to Austin, TX is estimated at $4,784 all-in in October 2026, or $4.16 a mile over about 1,149 mi. Quotes typically land between $4,115 and $5,454.

How far is Chicago, IL from Austin, TX by truck?

About 1,149 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 $1,122 of the $4,784 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $3,662 is linehaul.

Is it cheaper to ship from Austin, TX to Chicago, IL?

The reverse direction is estimated at $3,554, which makes Chicago, IL to Austin, TX 35% 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