Lane · FLAT · Oct 2026

Houston, TX to Salinas, CA flatbed rate

$5,413flatbed

+3.6% from last month

Per mile: $2.90
Distance: 1,869 mi
Typical range: $4,655–$6,171
Transit: 4 days

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Flatbed · estimated all-in cost per load · monthly

Houston to Salinas price history

3 months: +8.6%
1 year: +18.9%
5 years: +25.0%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $3,587
Fuel: $1,826
All-in estimate: $5,413

Return trip

Salinas → Houston$7,951

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

Houston to Salinas by truck type

Estimated cost from Houston, TX to Salinas, CA by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$4,509	$2.41	$4,013 – $5,006
53' refrigerated	$5,372	$2.87	$4,673 – $6,070
48' flatbed	$5,413	$2.90	$4,655 – $6,171
Step deck	$5,891	$3.15	$4,949 – $6,834
Power only	$4,004	$2.14	$3,484 – $4,525
Hotshot	$3,023	$1.62	$2,509 – $3,537
26' box truck	$2,955	$1.58	$2,511 – $3,398
Sprinter van	$1,804	$0.97	$1,515 – $2,092

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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 Salinas

48' flatbed lanes into Salinas, CA
From	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	3,016 mi	$8,801	$2.92	$7,568 – $10,033	7 d
Los Angeles, CA	305 mi	$2,124	$6.96	$1,826 – $2,421	1 d
Chicago, IL	2,169 mi	$7,899	$3.64	$6,793 – $9,005	5 d
Phoenix, AZ	685 mi	$1,997	$2.92	$1,717 – $2,277	2 d
Philadelphia, PA	2,952 mi	$7,664	$2.60	$6,591 – $8,737	7 d
San Antonio, TX	1,680 mi	$4,940	$2.94	$4,248 – $5,632	4 d
San Diego, CA	436 mi	$2,590	$5.94	$2,227 – $2,952	1 d
Dallas, TX	1,691 mi	$4,967	$2.94	$4,272 – $5,663	4 d

About this lane

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

A 48' flatbed from Houston, TX to Salinas, CA is estimated at $5,413 all-in in October 2026, or $2.90 a mile over about 1,869 mi. Quotes typically land between $4,655 and $6,171.

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

About 1,869 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 $1,826 of the $5,413 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $3,587 is linehaul.

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

The reverse direction is estimated at $7,951, which makes Houston, TX to Salinas, 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