Lane · FLAT · Oct 2026

Houston, TX to Helena, MT flatbed rate

$6,252flatbed

+3.4% from last month

Per mile: $3.62
Distance: 1,729 mi
Typical range: $5,377–$7,127
Transit: 4 days

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Flatbed · estimated all-in cost per load · monthly

Houston to Helena price history

3 months: +8.7%
1 year: +18.7%
5 years: +25.3%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $4,563
Fuel: $1,689
All-in estimate: $6,252

Return trip

Helena → Houston$4,706

This direction runs 33% above the return trip. Leaving TX prices below the national average and arriving in MT prices above it.

Houston to Helena by truck type

Estimated cost from Houston, TX to Helena, MT by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$5,202	$3.01	$4,629 – $5,774
53' refrigerated	$6,197	$3.58	$5,391 – $7,002
48' flatbed	$6,252	$3.62	$5,377 – $7,127
Step deck	$6,805	$3.94	$5,717 – $7,894
Power only	$4,615	$2.67	$4,015 – $5,214
Hotshot	$3,484	$2.01	$2,891 – $4,076
26' box truck	$3,406	$1.97	$2,895 – $3,917
Sprinter van	$2,081	$1.20	$1,748 – $2,414

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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
Chicago, IL	1,106 mi	$3,448	$3.12	$2,965 – $3,931	3 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

More lanes into Helena

48' flatbed lanes into Helena, MT
From	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	2,276 mi	$8,437	$3.71	$7,255 – $9,618	5 d
Los Angeles, CA	1,099 mi	$6,110	$5.56	$5,254 – $6,965	3 d
Chicago, IL	1,468 mi	$6,976	$4.75	$5,999 – $7,953	4 d
Phoenix, AZ	1,062 mi	$3,418	$3.22	$2,939 – $3,896	3 d
Philadelphia, PA	2,232 mi	$7,364	$3.30	$6,333 – $8,394	5 d
San Antonio, TX	1,639 mi	$5,973	$3.64	$5,137 – $6,810	4 d
San Diego, CA	1,168 mi	$6,413	$5.49	$5,515 – $7,311	3 d
Dallas, TX	1,472 mi	$5,457	$3.71	$4,693 – $6,221	4 d

About this lane

How much does it cost to ship a truckload from Houston, TX to Helena, MT?

A 48' flatbed from Houston, TX to Helena, MT is estimated at $6,252 all-in in October 2026, or $3.62 a mile over about 1,729 mi. Quotes typically land between $5,377 and $7,127.

How far is Houston, TX from Helena, MT by truck?

About 1,729 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 $1,689 of the $6,252 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $4,563 is linehaul.

Is it cheaper to ship from Helena, MT to Houston, TX?

The reverse direction is estimated at $4,706, which makes Houston, TX to Helena, MT 33% 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