Lane · STEP · Oct 2026

Houston, TX to Palm Desert, CA step deck rate

$4,851step deck

+3.2% from last month

Per mile: $3.26
Distance: 1,486 mi
Typical range: $4,075–$5,627
Transit: 4 days

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

Houston to Palm Desert price history

3 months: +8.7%
1 year: +18.5%
5 years: +24.9%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $3,353
Fuel: $1,498
All-in estimate: $4,851

Return trip

Palm Desert → Houston$7,124

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

Houston to Palm Desert by truck type

Estimated cost from Houston, TX to Palm Desert, CA by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$3,696	$2.49	$3,290 – $4,103
53' refrigerated	$4,404	$2.96	$3,832 – $4,977
48' flatbed	$4,454	$3.00	$3,830 – $5,078
Step deck	$4,851	$3.26	$4,075 – $5,627
Power only	$3,273	$2.20	$2,847 – $3,698
Hotshot	$2,470	$1.66	$2,050 – $2,890
26' box truck	$2,418	$1.63	$2,055 – $2,781
Sprinter van	$1,479	$1.00	$1,242 – $1,715

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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 Palm Desert

Step deck lanes into Palm Desert, CA
From	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	2,785 mi	$8,900	$3.20	$7,476 – $10,324	6 d
Los Angeles, CA	140 mi	$1,695	$12.10	$1,424 – $1,966	1 d
Chicago, IL	1,951 mi	$7,834	$4.02	$6,581 – $9,087	5 d
Phoenix, AZ	290 mi	$1,306	$4.50	$1,097 – $1,515	1 d
Philadelphia, PA	2,713 mi	$7,719	$2.85	$6,484 – $8,954	6 d
San Antonio, TX	1,285 mi	$4,305	$3.35	$3,616 – $4,993	3 d
San Diego, CA	92 mi	$1,509	$16.41	$1,268 – $1,751	1 d
Dallas, TX	1,336 mi	$4,443	$3.33	$3,732 – $5,154	3 d

About this lane

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

A Step deck from Houston, TX to Palm Desert, CA is estimated at $4,851 all-in in October 2026, or $3.26 a mile over about 1,486 mi. Quotes typically land between $4,075 and $5,627.

How far is Houston, TX from Palm Desert, CA by truck?

About 1,486 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 $1,498 of the $4,851 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $3,353 is linehaul.

Is it cheaper to ship from Palm Desert, CA to Houston, TX?

The reverse direction is estimated at $7,124, which makes Houston, TX to Palm Desert, 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