Lane · FLAT · Oct 2026

Houston, TX to Hickory, NC flatbed rate

$4,108flatbed

+3.2% from last month

Per mile: $3.81
Distance: 1,078 mi
Typical range: $3,533–$4,683
Transit: 3 days

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Flatbed · estimated all-in cost per load · monthly

Houston to Hickory price history

3 months: +8.5%
1 year: +18.7%
5 years: +24.9%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $3,055
Fuel: $1,053
All-in estimate: $4,108

Return trip

Hickory → Houston$3,370

This direction runs 22% above the return trip. Leaving TX prices below the national average and arriving in NC prices above it.

Houston to Hickory by truck type

Estimated cost from Houston, TX to Hickory, NC by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$3,388	$3.14	$3,015 – $3,760
53' refrigerated	$4,038	$3.75	$3,513 – $4,563
48' flatbed	$4,108	$3.81	$3,533 – $4,683
Step deck	$4,479	$4.15	$3,762 – $5,196
Power only	$2,984	$2.77	$2,596 – $3,372
Hotshot	$2,252	$2.09	$1,869 – $2,635
26' box truck	$2,210	$2.05	$1,878 – $2,541
Sprinter van	$1,355	$1.26	$1,138 – $1,572

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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 Hickory

48' flatbed lanes into Hickory, NC
From	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	620 mi	$2,904	$4.68	$2,498 – $3,311	2 d
Los Angeles, CA	2,470 mi	$11,758	$4.76	$10,112 – $13,404	6 d
Chicago, IL	640 mi	$3,581	$5.59	$3,079 – $4,082	2 d
Phoenix, AZ	2,063 mi	$5,761	$2.79	$4,955 – $6,568	5 d
Philadelphia, PA	529 mi	$2,322	$4.39	$1,997 – $2,647	2 d
San Antonio, TX	1,285 mi	$4,728	$3.68	$4,066 – $5,390	3 d
San Diego, CA	2,411 mi	$11,507	$4.77	$9,896 – $13,118	6 d
Dallas, TX	1,067 mi	$4,075	$3.82	$3,504 – $4,645	3 d

About this lane

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

A 48' flatbed from Houston, TX to Hickory, NC is estimated at $4,108 all-in in October 2026, or $3.81 a mile over about 1,078 mi. Quotes typically land between $3,533 and $4,683.

How far is Houston, TX from Hickory, NC 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 $4,108 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $3,055 is linehaul.

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

The reverse direction is estimated at $3,370, which makes Houston, TX to Hickory, NC 22% 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