Lane · STEP · Oct 2026

Elsmere, DE to Houston, TX step deck rate

$5,227step deck

+3.4% from last month

Per mile: $3.37
Distance: 1,549 mi
Typical range: $4,391–$6,063
Transit: 4 days

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

Elsmere to Houston price history

3 months: +8.4%
1 year: +18.7%
5 years: +24.8%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $3,665
Fuel: $1,562
All-in estimate: $5,227

Return trip

Houston → Elsmere$6,529

This direction runs 20% below the return trip. Leaving DE prices below the national average and arriving in TX prices below it.

Elsmere to Houston by truck type

Estimated cost from Elsmere, DE to Houston, TX by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$3,987	$2.57	$3,548 – $4,425
53' refrigerated	$4,750	$3.07	$4,132 – $5,367
48' flatbed	$4,800	$3.10	$4,128 – $5,472
Step deck	$5,227	$3.37	$4,391 – $6,063
Power only	$3,531	$2.28	$3,072 – $3,991
Hotshot	$2,666	$1.72	$2,213 – $3,119
26' box truck	$2,609	$1.68	$2,217 – $3,000
Sprinter van	$1,595	$1.03	$1,339 – $1,850

More lanes from Elsmere

Step deck lanes from Elsmere, DE
To	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	128 mi	$1,567	$12.24	$1,316 – $1,818	1 d
Los Angeles, CA	2,804 mi	$8,484	$3.03	$7,127 – $9,842	6 d
Chicago, IL	765 mi	$2,865	$3.74	$2,406 – $3,323	2 d
Phoenix, AZ	2,422 mi	$8,208	$3.39	$6,894 – $9,521	6 d
San Antonio, TX	1,745 mi	$5,781	$3.31	$4,856 – $6,706	4 d
San Diego, CA	2,763 mi	$8,372	$3.03	$7,033 – $9,712	6 d
Dallas, TX	1,498 mi	$5,083	$3.39	$4,269 – $5,896	4 d
Jacksonville, FL	866 mi	$4,799	$5.54	$4,032 – $5,567	2 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 Elsmere, DE to Houston, TX?

A Step deck from Elsmere, DE to Houston, TX is estimated at $5,227 all-in in October 2026, or $3.37 a mile over about 1,549 mi. Quotes typically land between $4,391 and $6,063.

How far is Elsmere, DE from Houston, TX by truck?

About 1,549 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 $1,562 of the $5,227 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $3,665 is linehaul.

Is it cheaper to ship from Houston, TX to Elsmere, DE?

The reverse direction is estimated at $6,529, which makes Elsmere, DE to Houston, TX 20% 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