Lane · FLAT · Oct 2026

Chicago, IL to San Marcos, CA flatbed rate

$7,430flatbed

+3.4% from last month

Per mile: $3.67
Distance: 2,023 mi
Typical range: $6,390–$8,471
Transit: 5 days

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Flatbed · estimated all-in cost per load · monthly

Chicago to San Marcos price history

3 months: +8.6%
1 year: +18.8%
5 years: +24.8%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $5,454
Fuel: $1,976
All-in estimate: $7,430

Return trip

San Marcos → Chicago$8,107

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

Chicago to San Marcos by truck type

Estimated cost from Chicago, IL to San Marcos, CA by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$6,197	$3.06	$5,515 – $6,878
53' refrigerated	$7,381	$3.65	$6,422 – $8,341
48' flatbed	$7,430	$3.67	$6,390 – $8,471
Step deck	$8,085	$4.00	$6,791 – $9,378
Power only	$5,508	$2.72	$4,792 – $6,224
Hotshot	$4,158	$2.06	$3,451 – $4,865
26' box truck	$4,062	$2.01	$3,453 – $4,671
Sprinter van	$2,479	$1.23	$2,082 – $2,875

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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 San Marcos

48' flatbed lanes into San Marcos, CA
From	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	2,855 mi	$8,372	$2.93	$7,200 – $9,544	6 d
Los Angeles, CA	111 mi	$1,434	$12.92	$1,233 – $1,635	1 d
Houston, TX	1,536 mi	$4,579	$2.98	$3,938 – $5,220	4 d
Phoenix, AZ	348 mi	$1,308	$3.76	$1,125 – $1,492	1 d
Philadelphia, PA	2,783 mi	$7,265	$2.61	$6,248 – $8,282	6 d
San Antonio, TX	1,331 mi	$4,066	$3.05	$3,497 – $4,635	3 d
Dallas, TX	1,394 mi	$4,224	$3.03	$3,632 – $4,815	3 d
Jacksonville, FL	2,461 mi	$5,563	$2.26	$4,784 – $6,341	6 d

About this lane

How much does it cost to ship a truckload from Chicago, IL to San Marcos, CA?

A 48' flatbed from Chicago, IL to San Marcos, CA is estimated at $7,430 all-in in October 2026, or $3.67 a mile over about 2,023 mi. Quotes typically land between $6,390 and $8,471.

How far is Chicago, IL from San Marcos, CA by truck?

About 2,023 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 $1,976 of the $7,430 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $5,454 is linehaul.

Is it cheaper to ship from San Marcos, CA to Chicago, IL?

The reverse direction is estimated at $8,107, which makes Chicago, IL to San Marcos, 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