Lane · FLAT · Oct 2026

Houston, TX to Chicago, IL flatbed rate

$3,448flatbed

+3.3% from last month

Per mile: $3.12
Distance: 1,106 mi
Typical range: $2,965–$3,931
Transit: 3 days

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Flatbed · estimated all-in cost per load · monthly

Houston to Chicago price history

3 months: +8.7%
1 year: +18.6%
5 years: +25.3%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $2,368
Fuel: $1,080
All-in estimate: $3,448

Return trip

Chicago → Houston$4,642

This direction runs 26% below the return trip. Leaving TX prices below the national average and arriving in IL prices below it.

Houston to Chicago by truck type

Estimated cost from Houston, TX to Chicago, IL by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$2,845	$2.57	$2,532 – $3,158
53' refrigerated	$3,391	$3.07	$2,950 – $3,832
48' flatbed	$3,448	$3.12	$2,965 – $3,931
Step deck	$3,759	$3.40	$3,158 – $4,361
Power only	$2,507	$2.27	$2,181 – $2,833
Hotshot	$1,892	$1.71	$1,570 – $2,214
26' box truck	$1,857	$1.68	$1,578 – $2,135
Sprinter van	$1,138	$1.03	$956 – $1,320

Live market check

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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 Houston

48' flatbed lanes from Houston, TX
To	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	1,675 mi	$6,611	$3.95	$5,685 – $7,536	4 d
Los Angeles, CA	1,627 mi	$4,807	$2.95	$4,134 – $5,480	4 d
Phoenix, AZ	1,198 mi	$4,118	$3.44	$3,541 – $4,694	3 d
Philadelphia, PA	1,585 mi	$6,002	$3.79	$5,161 – $6,842	4 d
San Antonio, TX	224 mi	$1,337	$5.97	$1,150 – $1,525	1 d
San Diego, CA	1,532 mi	$4,569	$2.98	$3,930 – $5,209	4 d
Dallas, TX	263 mi	$1,438	$5.47	$1,237 – $1,640	1 d
Jacksonville, FL	969 mi	$4,759	$4.91	$4,093 – $5,425	3 d

More lanes into Chicago

48' flatbed lanes into Chicago, IL
From	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	847 mi	$2,984	$3.52	$2,566 – $3,401	2 d
Los Angeles, CA	2,063 mi	$8,247	$4.00	$7,092 – $9,402	5 d
Phoenix, AZ	1,705 mi	$4,019	$2.36	$3,456 – $4,581	4 d
Philadelphia, PA	787 mi	$2,510	$3.19	$2,159 – $2,861	2 d
San Antonio, TX	1,236 mi	$3,769	$3.05	$3,241 – $4,296	3 d
San Diego, CA	2,034 mi	$8,145	$4.00	$7,005 – $9,286	5 d
Dallas, TX	942 mi	$3,044	$3.23	$2,618 – $3,470	2 d
Jacksonville, FL	1,017 mi	$2,604	$2.56	$2,240 – $2,969	3 d

About this lane

How much does it cost to ship a truckload from Houston, TX to Chicago, IL?

A 48' flatbed from Houston, TX to Chicago, IL is estimated at $3,448 all-in in October 2026, or $3.12 a mile over about 1,106 mi. Quotes typically land between $2,965 and $3,931.

How far is Houston, TX from Chicago, IL by truck?

About 1,106 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 $1,080 of the $3,448 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $2,368 is linehaul.

Is it cheaper to ship from Chicago, IL to Houston, TX?

The reverse direction is estimated at $4,642, which makes Houston, TX to Chicago, IL 26% 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