Lane · HOT · Oct 2026

Houston, TX to Merced, CA hotshot rate

$2,931hotshot

+3.2% from last month

Per mile: $1.62
Distance: 1,805 mi
Typical range: $2,432–$3,429
Transit: 4 days

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Hotshot · estimated all-in cost per load · monthly

Houston to Merced price history

3 months: +8.7%
1 year: +18.2%
5 years: +24.6%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $1,803
Fuel: $1,128
All-in estimate: $2,931

Return trip

Merced → Houston$4,304

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

Houston to Merced by truck type

Estimated cost from Houston, TX to Merced, CA by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$4,374	$2.42	$3,893 – $4,855
53' refrigerated	$5,210	$2.89	$4,533 – $5,887
48' flatbed	$5,253	$2.91	$4,518 – $5,988
Step deck	$5,718	$3.17	$4,803 – $6,632
Power only	$3,882	$2.15	$3,377 – $4,387
Hotshot	$2,931	$1.62	$2,432 – $3,429
26' box truck	$2,865	$1.59	$2,435 – $3,295
Sprinter van	$1,749	$0.97	$1,470 – $2,029

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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

Hotshot lanes from Houston, TX
To	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	1,675 mi	$3,680	$2.20	$3,055 – $4,306	4 d
Los Angeles, CA	1,627 mi	$2,674	$1.64	$2,219 – $3,128	4 d
Chicago, IL	1,106 mi	$1,892	$1.71	$1,570 – $2,214	3 d
Phoenix, AZ	1,198 mi	$2,267	$1.89	$1,881 – $2,652	3 d
Philadelphia, PA	1,585 mi	$3,335	$2.10	$2,768 – $3,902	4 d
San Antonio, TX	224 mi	$671	$3.00	$557 – $785	1 d
San Diego, CA	1,532 mi	$2,537	$1.66	$2,105 – $2,968	3 d
Dallas, TX	263 mi	$729	$2.77	$605 – $853	1 d

More lanes into Merced

Hotshot lanes into Merced, CA
From	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	2,928 mi	$4,834	$1.65	$4,012 – $5,656	6 d
Los Angeles, CA	301 mi	$1,079	$3.58	$895 – $1,262	1 d
Chicago, IL	2,081 mi	$4,266	$2.05	$3,540 – $4,991	5 d
Phoenix, AZ	635 mi	$1,013	$1.60	$841 – $1,186	2 d
Philadelphia, PA	2,864 mi	$4,206	$1.47	$3,491 – $4,921	6 d
San Antonio, TX	1,621 mi	$2,665	$1.64	$2,212 – $3,118	4 d
San Diego, CA	429 mi	$1,341	$3.13	$1,113 – $1,569	1 d
Dallas, TX	1,620 mi	$2,664	$1.64	$2,211 – $3,116	4 d

About this lane

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

A Hotshot from Houston, TX to Merced, CA is estimated at $2,931 all-in in October 2026, or $1.62 a mile over about 1,805 mi. Quotes typically land between $2,432 and $3,429.

How far is Houston, TX from Merced, CA by truck?

About 1,805 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 $1,128 of the $2,931 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $1,803 is linehaul.

Is it cheaper to ship from Merced, CA to Houston, TX?

The reverse direction is estimated at $4,304, which makes Houston, TX to Merced, 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