Lane · REEF · Oct 2026

Elsmere, DE to Chicago, IL reefer rate

$2,559reefer

−0.3% from last month

Per mile: $3.34
Distance: 765 mi
Typical range: $2,226–$2,892
Transit: 2 days

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Reefer · estimated all-in cost per load · monthly

Elsmere to Chicago price history

3 months: +1.5%
1 year: +35.8%
5 years: +3.4%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $1,775
Fuel: $784
All-in estimate: $2,559

Return trip

Chicago → Elsmere$4,303

This direction runs 41% below the return trip. Leaving DE prices below the national average and arriving in IL prices below it.

Elsmere to Chicago by truck type

Estimated cost from Elsmere, DE to Chicago, IL by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$2,146	$2.80	$1,910 – $2,382
53' refrigerated	$2,559	$3.34	$2,226 – $2,892
48' flatbed	$2,623	$3.43	$2,256 – $2,991
Step deck	$2,865	$3.74	$2,406 – $3,323
Power only	$1,878	$2.45	$1,633 – $2,122
Hotshot	$1,416	$1.85	$1,175 – $1,657
26' box truck	$1,395	$1.82	$1,186 – $1,604
Sprinter van	$858	$1.12	$721 – $996

More lanes from Elsmere

53' refrigerated lanes from Elsmere, DE
To	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	128 mi	$1,315	$10.27	$1,144 – $1,486	1 d
Los Angeles, CA	2,804 mi	$7,782	$2.78	$6,770 – $8,793	6 d
Houston, TX	1,549 mi	$4,750	$3.07	$4,132 – $5,367	3 d
Phoenix, AZ	2,422 mi	$7,513	$3.10	$6,537 – $8,490	5 d
San Antonio, TX	1,745 mi	$5,265	$3.02	$4,581 – $5,949	4 d
San Diego, CA	2,763 mi	$7,677	$2.78	$6,679 – $8,675	6 d
Dallas, TX	1,498 mi	$4,616	$3.08	$4,016 – $5,216	3 d
Jacksonville, FL	866 mi	$4,302	$4.97	$3,743 – $4,861	2 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 Elsmere, DE to Chicago, IL?

A 53' refrigerated from Elsmere, DE to Chicago, IL is estimated at $2,559 all-in in October 2026, or $3.34 a mile over about 765 mi. Quotes typically land between $2,226 and $2,892.

How far is Elsmere, DE from Chicago, IL by truck?

About 765 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 $784 of the $2,559 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $1,775 is linehaul.

Is it cheaper to ship from Chicago, IL to Elsmere, DE?

The reverse direction is estimated at $4,303, which makes Elsmere, DE to Chicago, IL 41% 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