Lane · FLAT · Oct 2026

Chicago, IL to El Centro, CA flatbed rate

$7,167flatbed

+3.4% from last month

Per mile: $3.69
Distance: 1,941 mi
Typical range: $6,164–$8,170
Transit: 5 days

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Flatbed · estimated all-in cost per load · monthly

Chicago to El Centro price history

3 months: +8.5%
1 year: +18.6%
5 years: +25.1%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $5,271
Fuel: $1,896
All-in estimate: $7,167

Return trip

El Centro → Chicago$7,820

This direction runs 8% below the return trip. Leaving IL prices above the national average and arriving in CA prices below it.

Chicago to El Centro by truck type

Estimated cost from Chicago, IL to El Centro, CA by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$5,974	$3.08	$5,317 – $6,631
53' refrigerated	$7,116	$3.67	$6,191 – $8,041
48' flatbed	$7,167	$3.69	$6,164 – $8,170
Step deck	$7,799	$4.02	$6,551 – $9,047
Power only	$5,307	$2.73	$4,617 – $5,997
Hotshot	$4,007	$2.06	$3,325 – $4,688
26' box truck	$3,915	$2.02	$3,328 – $4,502
Sprinter van	$2,389	$1.23	$2,007 – $2,772

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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 El Centro

48' flatbed lanes into El Centro, CA
From	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	2,768 mi	$8,141	$2.94	$7,001 – $9,280	6 d
Los Angeles, CA	219 mi	$1,818	$8.30	$1,563 – $2,072	1 d
Houston, TX	1,424 mi	$4,299	$3.02	$3,697 – $4,901	3 d
Phoenix, AZ	245 mi	$1,098	$4.48	$944 – $1,252	1 d
Philadelphia, PA	2,694 mi	$7,054	$2.62	$6,067 – $8,042	6 d
San Antonio, TX	1,218 mi	$3,783	$3.11	$3,253 – $4,312	3 d
San Diego, CA	108 mi	$1,423	$13.18	$1,224 – $1,622	1 d
Dallas, TX	1,286 mi	$3,953	$3.07	$3,400 – $4,506	3 d

About this lane

How much does it cost to ship a truckload from Chicago, IL to El Centro, CA?

A 48' flatbed from Chicago, IL to El Centro, CA is estimated at $7,167 all-in in October 2026, or $3.69 a mile over about 1,941 mi. Quotes typically land between $6,164 and $8,170.

How far is Chicago, IL from El Centro, CA by truck?

About 1,941 mi by road, estimated from the straight-line distance. A solo driver covers it in roughly 5 days of transit.

How much of the price is fuel?

About $1,896 of the $7,167 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $5,271 is linehaul.

Is it cheaper to ship from El Centro, CA to Chicago, IL?

The reverse direction is estimated at $7,820, which makes Chicago, IL to El Centro, CA 8% 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