Lane · FLAT · Oct 2026

Columbia Falls, MT to Chicago, IL flatbed rate

$4,207flatbed

+3.6% from last month

Per mile: $2.62
Distance: 1,606 mi
Typical range: $3,618–$4,796
Transit: 4 days

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Flatbed · estimated all-in cost per load · monthly

Columbia Falls to Chicago price history

3 months: +8.7%
1 year: +18.6%
5 years: +24.8%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $2,638
Fuel: $1,569
All-in estimate: $4,207

Return trip

Chicago → Columbia Falls$7,523

This direction runs 44% below the return trip. Leaving MT prices below the national average and arriving in IL prices below it.

Columbia Falls to Chicago by truck type

Estimated cost from Columbia Falls, MT to Chicago, IL by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$3,496	$2.18	$3,111 – $3,881
53' refrigerated	$4,165	$2.59	$3,624 – $4,707
48' flatbed	$4,207	$2.62	$3,618 – $4,796
Step deck	$4,580	$2.85	$3,848 – $5,313
Power only	$3,098	$1.93	$2,696 – $3,501
Hotshot	$2,339	$1.46	$1,941 – $2,737
26' box truck	$2,288	$1.42	$1,945 – $2,631
Sprinter van	$1,398	$0.87	$1,175 – $1,622

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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 Columbia Falls

48' flatbed lanes from Columbia Falls, MT
To	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	2,393 mi	$8,109	$3.39	$6,974 – $9,244	5 d
Los Angeles, CA	1,198 mi	$3,354	$2.80	$2,885 – $3,824	3 d
Houston, TX	1,916 mi	$5,142	$2.68	$4,422 – $5,861	4 d
Phoenix, AZ	1,213 mi	$3,738	$3.08	$3,214 – $4,261	3 d
Philadelphia, PA	2,354 mi	$7,603	$3.23	$6,538 – $8,667	5 d
San Antonio, TX	1,826 mi	$4,932	$2.70	$4,241 – $5,622	4 d
San Diego, CA	1,281 mi	$3,541	$2.76	$3,045 – $4,037	3 d
Dallas, TX	1,658 mi	$4,541	$2.74	$3,905 – $5,176	4 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 Columbia Falls, MT to Chicago, IL?

A 48' flatbed from Columbia Falls, MT to Chicago, IL is estimated at $4,207 all-in in October 2026, or $2.62 a mile over about 1,606 mi. Quotes typically land between $3,618 and $4,796.

How far is Columbia Falls, MT from Chicago, IL by truck?

About 1,606 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 $1,569 of the $4,207 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $2,638 is linehaul.

Is it cheaper to ship from Chicago, IL to Columbia Falls, MT?

The reverse direction is estimated at $7,523, which makes Columbia Falls, MT to Chicago, IL 44% 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