Lane · REEF · Oct 2026

Houston, TX to Elsmere, DE reefer rate

$5,933reefer

−0.3% from last month

Per mile: $3.83
Distance: 1,549 mi
Typical range: $5,162–$6,704
Transit: 3 days

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Reefer · estimated all-in cost per load · monthly

Houston to Elsmere price history

3 months: +1.9%
1 year: +36.3%
5 years: +3.5%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $4,345
Fuel: $1,588
All-in estimate: $5,933

Return trip

Elsmere → Houston$4,750

This direction runs 25% above the return trip. Leaving TX prices below the national average and arriving in DE prices above it.

Houston to Elsmere by truck type

Estimated cost from Houston, TX to Elsmere, DE by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$4,980	$3.21	$4,432 – $5,527
53' refrigerated	$5,933	$3.83	$5,162 – $6,704
48' flatbed	$5,996	$3.87	$5,156 – $6,835
Step deck	$6,529	$4.22	$5,484 – $7,574
Power only	$4,411	$2.85	$3,838 – $4,985
Hotshot	$3,330	$2.15	$2,764 – $3,896
26' box truck	$3,258	$2.10	$2,770 – $3,747
Sprinter van	$1,992	$1.29	$1,673 – $2,311

More lanes from Houston

53' refrigerated lanes from Houston, TX
To	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	1,675 mi	$6,549	$3.91	$5,698 – $7,401	4 d
Los Angeles, CA	1,627 mi	$4,760	$2.93	$4,142 – $5,379	4 d
Chicago, IL	1,106 mi	$3,391	$3.07	$2,950 – $3,832	3 d
Phoenix, AZ	1,198 mi	$4,056	$3.39	$3,529 – $4,583	3 d
Philadelphia, PA	1,585 mi	$5,941	$3.75	$5,168 – $6,713	3 d
San Antonio, TX	224 mi	$1,258	$5.62	$1,095 – $1,422	1 d
San Diego, CA	1,532 mi	$4,520	$2.95	$3,933 – $5,108	3 d
Dallas, TX	263 mi	$1,360	$5.17	$1,183 – $1,537	1 d

More lanes into Elsmere

53' refrigerated lanes into Elsmere, DE
From	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	128 mi	$1,345	$10.51	$1,170 – $1,519	1 d
Los Angeles, CA	2,804 mi	$14,276	$5.09	$12,420 – $16,132	6 d
Chicago, IL	765 mi	$4,303	$5.62	$3,743 – $4,862	2 d
Phoenix, AZ	2,422 mi	$7,180	$2.96	$6,247 – $8,114	5 d
San Antonio, TX	1,745 mi	$6,577	$3.77	$5,722 – $7,432	4 d
San Diego, CA	2,763 mi	$14,085	$5.10	$12,254 – $15,916	6 d
Dallas, TX	1,498 mi	$5,765	$3.85	$5,016 – $6,515	3 d
Jacksonville, FL	866 mi	$2,976	$3.44	$2,589 – $3,363	2 d

About this lane

How much does it cost to ship a truckload from Houston, TX to Elsmere, DE?

A 53' refrigerated from Houston, TX to Elsmere, DE is estimated at $5,933 all-in in October 2026, or $3.83 a mile over about 1,549 mi. Quotes typically land between $5,162 and $6,704.

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

About 1,549 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 $1,588 of the $5,933 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $4,345 is linehaul.

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

The reverse direction is estimated at $4,750, which makes Houston, TX to Elsmere, DE 25% more expensive. 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