Lane · FLAT · Oct 2026

Des Moines, IA to Austin, TX flatbed rate

$3,808flatbed

+3.4% from last month

Per mile: $3.97
Distance: 959 mi
Typical range: $3,275–$4,341
Transit: 2 days

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Flatbed · estimated all-in cost per load · monthly

Des Moines to Austin price history

3 months: +8.8%
1 year: +18.5%
5 years: +24.8%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $2,871
Fuel: $937
All-in estimate: $3,808

Return trip

Austin → Des Moines$3,153

This direction runs 21% above the return trip. Leaving IA prices above the national average and arriving in TX prices below it.

Des Moines to Austin by truck type

Estimated cost from Des Moines, IA to Austin, TX by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$3,132	$3.27	$2,788 – $3,477
53' refrigerated	$3,734	$3.89	$3,249 – $4,220
48' flatbed	$3,808	$3.97	$3,275 – $4,341
Step deck	$4,155	$4.33	$3,490 – $4,819
Power only	$2,753	$2.87	$2,395 – $3,111
Hotshot	$2,077	$2.17	$1,724 – $2,431
26' box truck	$2,041	$2.13	$1,735 – $2,347
Sprinter van	$1,253	$1.31	$1,053 – $1,453

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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 Des Moines

48' flatbed lanes from Des Moines, IA
To	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	1,208 mi	$5,922	$4.90	$5,093 – $6,752	3 d
Los Angeles, CA	1,705 mi	$5,877	$3.45	$5,054 – $6,700	4 d
Chicago, IL	361 mi	$1,892	$5.24	$1,627 – $2,157	1 d
Houston, TX	968 mi	$3,836	$3.96	$3,299 – $4,373	3 d
Phoenix, AZ	1,357 mi	$5,354	$3.95	$4,604 – $6,103	3 d
Philadelphia, PA	1,145 mi	$5,398	$4.71	$4,642 – $6,154	3 d
San Antonio, TX	1,039 mi	$4,052	$3.90	$3,485 – $4,619	3 d
San Diego, CA	1,679 mi	$5,800	$3.45	$4,988 – $6,612	4 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
Chicago, IL	1,149 mi	$4,784	$4.16	$4,115 – $5,454	3 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

About this lane

How much does it cost to ship a truckload from Des Moines, IA to Austin, TX?

A 48' flatbed from Des Moines, IA to Austin, TX is estimated at $3,808 all-in in October 2026, or $3.97 a mile over about 959 mi. Quotes typically land between $3,275 and $4,341.

How far is Des Moines, IA from Austin, TX by truck?

About 959 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 $937 of the $3,808 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $2,871 is linehaul.

Is it cheaper to ship from Austin, TX to Des Moines, IA?

The reverse direction is estimated at $3,153, which makes Des Moines, IA to Austin, TX 21% 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