Lane · STEP · Oct 2026

Houston, TX to Santa Barbara, CA step deck rate

$5,478step deck

+3.2% from last month

Per mile: $3.19
Distance: 1,717 mi
Typical range: $4,602–$6,355
Transit: 4 days

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

Houston to Santa Barbara price history

3 months: +8.5%
1 year: +18.6%
5 years: +25.1%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $3,747
Fuel: $1,731
All-in estimate: $5,478

Return trip

Santa Barbara → Houston$8,046

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

Houston to Santa Barbara by truck type

Estimated cost from Houston, TX to Santa Barbara, CA by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$4,187	$2.44	$3,726 – $4,647
53' refrigerated	$4,988	$2.90	$4,339 – $5,636
48' flatbed	$5,033	$2.93	$4,328 – $5,737
Step deck	$5,478	$3.19	$4,602 – $6,355
Power only	$3,714	$2.16	$3,231 – $4,197
Hotshot	$2,804	$1.63	$2,327 – $3,280
26' box truck	$2,742	$1.60	$2,330 – $3,153
Sprinter van	$1,675	$0.98	$1,407 – $1,943

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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 Santa Barbara

Step deck lanes into Santa Barbara, CA
From	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	2,969 mi	$9,431	$3.18	$7,922 – $10,940	7 d
Los Angeles, CA	93 mi	$1,513	$16.27	$1,271 – $1,755	1 d
Chicago, IL	2,128 mi	$8,450	$3.97	$7,098 – $9,802	5 d
Phoenix, AZ	520 mi	$1,816	$3.49	$1,526 – $2,107	2 d
Philadelphia, PA	2,900 mi	$8,198	$2.83	$6,887 – $9,510	7 d
San Antonio, TX	1,517 mi	$4,935	$3.25	$4,145 – $5,725	4 d
San Diego, CA	218 mi	$1,996	$9.15	$1,676 – $2,315	1 d
Dallas, TX	1,561 mi	$5,055	$3.24	$4,246 – $5,863	4 d

About this lane

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

A Step deck from Houston, TX to Santa Barbara, CA is estimated at $5,478 all-in in October 2026, or $3.19 a mile over about 1,717 mi. Quotes typically land between $4,602 and $6,355.

How far is Houston, TX from Santa Barbara, CA by truck?

About 1,717 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 $1,731 of the $5,478 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $3,747 is linehaul.

Is it cheaper to ship from Santa Barbara, CA to Houston, TX?

The reverse direction is estimated at $8,046, which makes Houston, TX to Santa Barbara, 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