Lane · FLAT · Oct 2026

Houston, TX to Watsonville, CA flatbed rate

$5,443flatbed

+3.2% from last month

Per mile: $2.89
Distance: 1,881 mi
Typical range: $4,681–$6,205
Transit: 4 days

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Flatbed · estimated all-in cost per load · monthly

Houston to Watsonville price history

3 months: +8.7%
1 year: +18.4%
5 years: +24.6%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $3,605
Fuel: $1,838
All-in estimate: $5,443

Return trip

Watsonville → Houston$7,995

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

Houston to Watsonville by truck type

Estimated cost from Houston, TX to Watsonville, CA by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$4,535	$2.41	$4,036 – $5,034
53' refrigerated	$5,402	$2.87	$4,700 – $6,104
48' flatbed	$5,443	$2.89	$4,681 – $6,205
Step deck	$5,924	$3.15	$4,976 – $6,872
Power only	$4,027	$2.14	$3,504 – $4,551
Hotshot	$3,040	$1.62	$2,524 – $3,557
26' box truck	$2,971	$1.58	$2,526 – $3,417
Sprinter van	$1,814	$0.96	$1,524 – $2,104

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Get live dry van quotes on this lane

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 Watsonville

48' flatbed lanes into Watsonville, CA
From	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	3,017 mi	$8,803	$2.92	$7,571 – $10,036	7 d
Los Angeles, CA	325 mi	$2,195	$6.75	$1,888 – $2,502	1 d
Chicago, IL	2,170 mi	$7,902	$3.64	$6,796 – $9,008	5 d
Phoenix, AZ	700 mi	$2,028	$2.90	$1,744 – $2,312	2 d
Philadelphia, PA	2,954 mi	$7,669	$2.60	$6,595 – $8,742	7 d
San Antonio, TX	1,693 mi	$4,972	$2.94	$4,276 – $5,669	4 d
San Diego, CA	456 mi	$2,661	$5.84	$2,288 – $3,033	1 d
Dallas, TX	1,701 mi	$4,993	$2.94	$4,294 – $5,691	4 d

About this lane

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

A 48' flatbed from Houston, TX to Watsonville, CA is estimated at $5,443 all-in in October 2026, or $2.89 a mile over about 1,881 mi. Quotes typically land between $4,681 and $6,205.

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

About 1,881 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 $1,838 of the $5,443 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $3,605 is linehaul.

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

The reverse direction is estimated at $7,995, which makes Houston, TX to Watsonville, 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