Lane · STEP · Oct 2026

Houston, TX to El Cajon, CA step deck rate

$4,943step deck

+3.2% from last month

Per mile: $3.25
Distance: 1,520 mi
Typical range: $4,152–$5,734
Transit: 4 days

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

Houston to El Cajon price history

3 months: +8.7%
1 year: +18.6%
5 years: +25.0%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $3,410
Fuel: $1,533
All-in estimate: $4,943

Return trip

El Cajon → Houston$7,260

This direction runs 32% below the return trip. Leaving TX prices below the national average and arriving in CA prices below it.

Houston to El Cajon by truck type

Estimated cost from Houston, TX to El Cajon, CA by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$3,769	$2.48	$3,354 – $4,183
53' refrigerated	$4,490	$2.95	$3,906 – $5,074
48' flatbed	$4,539	$2.99	$3,904 – $5,175
Step deck	$4,943	$3.25	$4,152 – $5,734
Power only	$3,338	$2.20	$2,904 – $3,771
Hotshot	$2,519	$1.66	$2,091 – $2,948
26' box truck	$2,466	$1.62	$2,096 – $2,835
Sprinter van	$1,507	$0.99	$1,266 – $1,749

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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

Step deck lanes from Houston, TX
To	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	1,675 mi	$7,197	$4.30	$6,045 – $8,348	4 d
Los Angeles, CA	1,627 mi	$5,234	$3.22	$4,396 – $6,071	4 d
Chicago, IL	1,106 mi	$3,759	$3.40	$3,158 – $4,361	3 d
Phoenix, AZ	1,198 mi	$4,488	$3.75	$3,770 – $5,206	3 d
Philadelphia, PA	1,585 mi	$6,535	$4.12	$5,489 – $7,580	4 d
San Antonio, TX	224 mi	$1,471	$6.57	$1,235 – $1,706	1 d
San Diego, CA	1,532 mi	$4,976	$3.25	$4,180 – $5,772	4 d
Dallas, TX	263 mi	$1,580	$6.01	$1,327 – $1,833	1 d

More lanes into El Cajon

Step deck lanes into El Cajon, CA
From	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	2,854 mi	$9,099	$3.19	$7,643 – $10,555	7 d
Los Angeles, CA	140 mi	$1,695	$12.10	$1,424 – $1,966	1 d
Chicago, IL	2,024 mi	$8,088	$4.00	$6,794 – $9,382	5 d
Phoenix, AZ	338 mi	$1,413	$4.18	$1,187 – $1,639	1 d
Philadelphia, PA	2,780 mi	$7,891	$2.84	$6,628 – $9,153	6 d
San Antonio, TX	1,313 mi	$4,381	$3.34	$3,680 – $5,082	3 d
Dallas, TX	1,382 mi	$4,568	$3.31	$3,837 – $5,299	3 d
Jacksonville, FL	2,449 mi	$6,023	$2.46	$5,060 – $6,987	6 d

About this lane

How much does it cost to ship a truckload from Houston, TX to El Cajon, CA?

A Step deck from Houston, TX to El Cajon, CA is estimated at $4,943 all-in in October 2026, or $3.25 a mile over about 1,520 mi. Quotes typically land between $4,152 and $5,734.

How far is Houston, TX from El Cajon, CA by truck?

About 1,520 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 $1,533 of the $4,943 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $3,410 is linehaul.

Is it cheaper to ship from El Cajon, CA to Houston, TX?

The reverse direction is estimated at $7,260, which makes Houston, TX to El Cajon, CA 32% 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