Lane · REEF · Oct 2026

El Cajon, CA to Chicago, IL reefer rate

$8,057reefer

−0.2% from last month

Per mile: $3.98
Distance: 2,024 mi
Typical range: $7,009–$9,104
Transit: 4 days

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Reefer · estimated all-in cost per load · monthly

El Cajon to Chicago price history

3 months: +1.8%
1 year: +35.9%
5 years: +3.7%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $5,983
Fuel: $2,074
All-in estimate: $8,057

Return trip

Chicago → El Cajon$7,384

This direction runs 9% above the return trip. Leaving CA prices above the national average and arriving in IL prices below it.

El Cajon to Chicago by truck type

Estimated cost from El Cajon, CA to Chicago, IL by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$6,764	$3.34	$6,020 – $7,508
53' refrigerated	$8,057	$3.98	$7,009 – $9,104
48' flatbed	$8,110	$4.01	$6,975 – $9,246
Step deck	$8,825	$4.36	$7,413 – $10,237
Power only	$6,012	$2.97	$5,230 – $6,793
Hotshot	$4,539	$2.24	$3,767 – $5,311
26' box truck	$4,434	$2.19	$3,769 – $5,099
Sprinter van	$2,706	$1.34	$2,273 – $3,139

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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 El Cajon

53' refrigerated lanes from El Cajon, CA
To	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	2,854 mi	$14,972	$5.25	$13,026 – $16,919	6 d
Los Angeles, CA	140 mi	$1,426	$10.18	$1,240 – $1,611	1 d
Houston, TX	1,520 mi	$6,595	$4.34	$5,737 – $7,452	3 d
Phoenix, AZ	338 mi	$2,356	$6.97	$2,050 – $2,663	1 d
Philadelphia, PA	2,780 mi	$13,906	$5.00	$12,098 – $15,713	6 d
San Antonio, TX	1,313 mi	$5,827	$4.44	$5,069 – $6,584	3 d
Dallas, TX	1,382 mi	$6,083	$4.40	$5,292 – $6,873	3 d
Jacksonville, FL	2,449 mi	$14,624	$5.97	$12,723 – $16,525	5 d

More lanes into Chicago

53' refrigerated lanes into Chicago, IL
From	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	847 mi	$2,918	$3.44	$2,538 – $3,297	2 d
Los Angeles, CA	2,063 mi	$8,194	$3.97	$7,129 – $9,260	4 d
Houston, TX	1,106 mi	$3,391	$3.07	$2,950 – $3,832	3 d
Phoenix, AZ	1,705 mi	$3,983	$2.34	$3,465 – $4,500	4 d
Philadelphia, PA	787 mi	$2,450	$3.11	$2,132 – $2,769	2 d
San Antonio, TX	1,236 mi	$3,715	$3.01	$3,232 – $4,197	3 d
San Diego, CA	2,034 mi	$8,092	$3.98	$7,040 – $9,144	4 d
Dallas, TX	942 mi	$2,983	$3.17	$2,595 – $3,371	2 d

About this lane

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

A 53' refrigerated from El Cajon, CA to Chicago, IL is estimated at $8,057 all-in in October 2026, or $3.98 a mile over about 2,024 mi. Quotes typically land between $7,009 and $9,104.

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

About 2,024 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 $2,074 of the $8,057 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $5,983 is linehaul.

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

The reverse direction is estimated at $7,384, which makes El Cajon, CA to Chicago, IL 9% 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