Lane · STEP · Oct 2026

Des Plaines, IL to Houston, TX step deck rate

$5,086step deck

+3.4% from last month

Per mile: $4.57
Distance: 1,113 mi
Typical range: $4,272–$5,899
Transit: 3 days

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Step deck · estimated all-in cost per load · monthly

Des Plaines to Houston price history

3 months: +8.8%
1 year: +18.7%
5 years: +24.8%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $3,964
Fuel: $1,122
All-in estimate: $5,086

Return trip

Houston → Des Plaines$3,778

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

Des Plaines to Houston by truck type

Estimated cost from Des Plaines, IL to Houston, TX by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$3,850	$3.46	$3,426 – $4,273
53' refrigerated	$4,588	$4.12	$3,992 – $5,185
48' flatbed	$4,665	$4.19	$4,012 – $5,318
Step deck	$5,086	$4.57	$4,272 – $5,899
Power only	$3,393	$3.05	$2,952 – $3,834
Hotshot	$2,560	$2.30	$2,125 – $2,996
26' box truck	$2,512	$2.26	$2,135 – $2,889
Sprinter van	$1,540	$1.38	$1,294 – $1,786

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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 Plaines

Step deck lanes from Des Plaines, IL
To	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	861 mi	$5,419	$6.29	$4,552 – $6,286	2 d
Los Angeles, CA	2,053 mi	$8,189	$3.99	$6,879 – $9,499	5 d
Phoenix, AZ	1,696 mi	$7,663	$4.52	$6,437 – $8,889	4 d
Philadelphia, PA	802 mi	$4,894	$6.10	$4,111 – $5,677	2 d
San Antonio, TX	1,241 mi	$5,547	$4.47	$4,659 – $6,434	3 d
San Diego, CA	2,024 mi	$8,088	$4.00	$6,794 – $9,382	5 d
Dallas, TX	946 mi	$4,484	$4.74	$3,767 – $5,202	3 d
Jacksonville, FL	1,038 mi	$7,014	$6.76	$5,891 – $8,136	3 d

More lanes into Houston

Step deck lanes into Houston, TX
From	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	1,675 mi	$5,893	$3.52	$4,950 – $6,836	4 d
Los Angeles, CA	1,627 mi	$7,687	$4.72	$6,457 – $8,917	4 d
Chicago, IL	1,106 mi	$5,061	$4.58	$4,251 – $5,870	3 d
Phoenix, AZ	1,198 mi	$3,434	$2.87	$2,884 – $3,983	3 d
Philadelphia, PA	1,585 mi	$4,995	$3.15	$4,196 – $5,794	4 d
San Antonio, TX	224 mi	$1,471	$6.57	$1,235 – $1,706	1 d
San Diego, CA	1,532 mi	$7,308	$4.77	$6,139 – $8,477	4 d
Dallas, TX	263 mi	$1,580	$6.01	$1,327 – $1,833	1 d

About this lane

How much does it cost to ship a truckload from Des Plaines, IL to Houston, TX?

A Step deck from Des Plaines, IL to Houston, TX is estimated at $5,086 all-in in October 2026, or $4.57 a mile over about 1,113 mi. Quotes typically land between $4,272 and $5,899.

How far is Des Plaines, IL from Houston, TX by truck?

About 1,113 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 $5,086 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $3,964 is linehaul.

Is it cheaper to ship from Houston, TX to Des Plaines, IL?

The reverse direction is estimated at $3,778, which makes Des Plaines, IL to Houston, 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