Lane · FLAT · Oct 2026

Hickory, NC to Houston, TX flatbed rate

$3,370flatbed

+3.6% from last month

Per mile: $3.13
Distance: 1,078 mi
Typical range: $2,898–$3,842
Transit: 3 days

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Flatbed · estimated all-in cost per load · monthly

Hickory to Houston price history

3 months: +8.7%
1 year: +19.0%
5 years: +25.2%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $2,317
Fuel: $1,053
All-in estimate: $3,370

Return trip

Houston → Hickory$4,108

This direction runs 18% below the return trip. Leaving NC prices below the national average and arriving in TX prices below it.

Hickory to Houston by truck type

Estimated cost from Hickory, NC to Houston, TX by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$2,779	$2.58	$2,474 – $3,085
53' refrigerated	$3,313	$3.07	$2,882 – $3,743
48' flatbed	$3,370	$3.13	$2,898 – $3,842
Step deck	$3,675	$3.41	$3,087 – $4,263
Power only	$2,448	$2.27	$2,130 – $2,767
Hotshot	$1,847	$1.71	$1,533 – $2,161
26' box truck	$1,813	$1.68	$1,541 – $2,085
Sprinter van	$1,112	$1.03	$934 – $1,290

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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 Hickory

48' flatbed lanes from Hickory, NC
To	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	620 mi	$2,910	$4.69	$2,503 – $3,317	2 d
Los Angeles, CA	2,470 mi	$6,568	$2.66	$5,649 – $7,488	6 d
Chicago, IL	640 mi	$2,182	$3.41	$1,877 – $2,488	2 d
Phoenix, AZ	2,063 mi	$6,178	$2.99	$5,313 – $7,043	5 d
Philadelphia, PA	529 mi	$2,492	$4.71	$2,143 – $2,841	2 d
San Antonio, TX	1,285 mi	$3,879	$3.02	$3,336 – $4,422	3 d
San Diego, CA	2,411 mi	$6,428	$2.67	$5,528 – $7,328	6 d
Dallas, TX	1,067 mi	$3,343	$3.13	$2,875 – $3,811	3 d

More lanes into Houston

48' flatbed lanes into Houston, TX
From	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	1,675 mi	$5,413	$3.23	$4,655 – $6,171	4 d
Los Angeles, CA	1,627 mi	$7,060	$4.34	$6,072 – $8,049	4 d
Chicago, IL	1,106 mi	$4,642	$4.20	$3,992 – $5,291	3 d
Phoenix, AZ	1,198 mi	$3,150	$2.63	$2,709 – $3,591	3 d
Philadelphia, PA	1,585 mi	$4,587	$2.89	$3,945 – $5,229	4 d
San Antonio, TX	224 mi	$1,337	$5.97	$1,150 – $1,525	1 d
San Diego, CA	1,532 mi	$6,711	$4.38	$5,771 – $7,650	4 d
Dallas, TX	263 mi	$1,438	$5.47	$1,237 – $1,640	1 d

About this lane

How much does it cost to ship a truckload from Hickory, NC to Houston, TX?

A 48' flatbed from Hickory, NC to Houston, TX is estimated at $3,370 all-in in October 2026, or $3.13 a mile over about 1,078 mi. Quotes typically land between $2,898 and $3,842.

How far is Hickory, NC from Houston, TX by truck?

About 1,078 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 $1,053 of the $3,370 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $2,317 is linehaul.

Is it cheaper to ship from Houston, TX to Hickory, NC?

The reverse direction is estimated at $4,108, which makes Hickory, NC to Houston, TX 18% 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