Lane · STEP · Oct 2026

Houston, TX to San Marcos, CA step deck rate

$4,987step deck

+3.5% from last month

Per mile: $3.25
Distance: 1,536 mi
Typical range: $4,189–$5,784
Transit: 4 days

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

Houston to San Marcos price history

3 months: +8.7%
1 year: +18.6%
5 years: +25.0%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $3,438
Fuel: $1,549
All-in estimate: $4,987

Return trip

San Marcos → Houston$7,324

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

Houston to San Marcos by truck type

Estimated cost from Houston, TX to San Marcos, CA by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$3,803	$2.48	$3,384 – $4,221
53' refrigerated	$4,531	$2.95	$3,942 – $5,119
48' flatbed	$4,579	$2.98	$3,938 – $5,220
Step deck	$4,987	$3.25	$4,189 – $5,784
Power only	$3,368	$2.19	$2,930 – $3,806
Hotshot	$2,542	$1.66	$2,110 – $2,975
26' box truck	$2,488	$1.62	$2,115 – $2,861
Sprinter van	$1,521	$0.99	$1,278 – $1,764

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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 San Marcos

Step deck lanes into San Marcos, CA
From	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	2,855 mi	$9,102	$3.19	$7,646 – $10,559	7 d
Los Angeles, CA	111 mi	$1,583	$14.26	$1,330 – $1,836	1 d
Chicago, IL	2,023 mi	$8,085	$4.00	$6,791 – $9,378	5 d
Phoenix, AZ	348 mi	$1,435	$4.12	$1,205 – $1,665	1 d
Philadelphia, PA	2,783 mi	$7,898	$2.84	$6,635 – $9,162	6 d
San Antonio, TX	1,331 mi	$4,430	$3.33	$3,721 – $5,138	3 d
Dallas, TX	1,394 mi	$4,601	$3.30	$3,865 – $5,337	3 d
Jacksonville, FL	2,461 mi	$6,050	$2.46	$5,082 – $7,018	6 d

About this lane

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

A Step deck from Houston, TX to San Marcos, CA is estimated at $4,987 all-in in October 2026, or $3.25 a mile over about 1,536 mi. Quotes typically land between $4,189 and $5,784.

How far is Houston, TX from San Marcos, CA by truck?

About 1,536 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 $1,549 of the $4,987 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $3,438 is linehaul.

Is it cheaper to ship from San Marcos, CA to Houston, TX?

The reverse direction is estimated at $7,324, which makes Houston, TX to San Marcos, 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