Lane · STEP · Oct 2026

El Centro, CA to Chicago, IL step deck rate

$8,509step deck

+3.3% from last month

Per mile: $4.38
Distance: 1,941 mi
Typical range: $7,148–$9,871
Transit: 5 days

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

El Centro to Chicago price history

3 months: +8.7%
1 year: +18.7%
5 years: +24.8%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $6,552
Fuel: $1,957
All-in estimate: $8,509

Return trip

Chicago → El Centro$7,799

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

El Centro to Chicago by truck type

Estimated cost from El Centro, CA to Chicago, IL by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$6,518	$3.36	$5,801 – $7,235
53' refrigerated	$7,764	$4.00	$6,754 – $8,773
48' flatbed	$7,820	$4.03	$6,725 – $8,915
Step deck	$8,509	$4.38	$7,148 – $9,871
Power only	$5,790	$2.98	$5,037 – $6,543
Hotshot	$4,371	$2.25	$3,628 – $5,115
26' box truck	$4,271	$2.20	$3,631 – $4,912
Sprinter van	$2,607	$1.34	$2,190 – $3,024

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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 Centro

Step deck lanes from El Centro, CA
To	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	2,768 mi	$15,876	$5.74	$13,336 – $18,416	6 d
Los Angeles, CA	219 mi	$1,999	$9.13	$1,680 – $2,319	1 d
Houston, TX	1,424 mi	$6,877	$4.83	$5,777 – $7,977	4 d
Phoenix, AZ	245 mi	$2,316	$9.45	$1,946 – $2,687	1 d
Philadelphia, PA	2,694 mi	$14,739	$5.47	$12,381 – $17,098	6 d
San Antonio, TX	1,218 mi	$6,055	$4.97	$5,086 – $7,024	3 d
San Diego, CA	108 mi	$1,571	$14.55	$1,320 – $1,823	1 d
Dallas, TX	1,286 mi	$6,326	$4.92	$5,314 – $7,338	3 d

More lanes into Chicago

Step deck lanes into Chicago, IL
From	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	847 mi	$3,257	$3.85	$2,736 – $3,778	2 d
Los Angeles, CA	2,063 mi	$8,973	$4.35	$7,537 – $10,408	5 d
Houston, TX	1,106 mi	$3,759	$3.40	$3,158 – $4,361	3 d
Phoenix, AZ	1,705 mi	$4,375	$2.57	$3,675 – $5,075	4 d
Philadelphia, PA	787 mi	$2,741	$3.48	$2,302 – $3,179	2 d
San Antonio, TX	1,236 mi	$4,107	$3.32	$3,450 – $4,764	3 d
San Diego, CA	2,034 mi	$8,863	$4.36	$7,445 – $10,281	5 d
Dallas, TX	942 mi	$3,321	$3.53	$2,789 – $3,852	3 d

About this lane

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

A Step deck from El Centro, CA to Chicago, IL is estimated at $8,509 all-in in October 2026, or $4.38 a mile over about 1,941 mi. Quotes typically land between $7,148 and $9,871.

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

About 1,941 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 $1,957 of the $8,509 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $6,552 is linehaul.

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

The reverse direction is estimated at $7,799, which makes El Centro, 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