Lane · FLAT · Oct 2026

Lake Forest, CA to Chicago, IL flatbed rate

$8,142flatbed

+3.4% from last month

Per mile: $4.00
Distance: 2,033 mi
Typical range: $7,002–$9,282
Transit: 5 days

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Flatbed · estimated all-in cost per load · monthly

Lake Forest to Chicago price history

3 months: +8.4%
1 year: +18.7%
5 years: +25.0%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $6,156
Fuel: $1,986
All-in estimate: $8,142

Return trip

Chicago → Lake Forest$7,462

This direction runs 9% above the return trip. Leaving CA prices above the national average and arriving in IL prices below it.

Lake Forest to Chicago by truck type

Estimated cost from Lake Forest, CA to Chicago, IL by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$6,791	$3.34	$6,044 – $7,538
53' refrigerated	$8,089	$3.98	$7,037 – $9,140
48' flatbed	$8,142	$4.00	$7,002 – $9,282
Step deck	$8,859	$4.36	$7,441 – $10,276
Power only	$6,036	$2.97	$5,251 – $6,821
Hotshot	$4,557	$2.24	$3,782 – $5,332
26' box truck	$4,452	$2.19	$3,784 – $5,119
Sprinter van	$2,716	$1.34	$2,282 – $3,151

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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 Lake Forest

48' flatbed lanes from Lake Forest, CA
To	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	2,868 mi	$15,079	$5.26	$12,968 – $17,190	6 d
Houston, TX	1,574 mi	$6,865	$4.36	$5,904 – $7,826	4 d
Phoenix, AZ	379 mi	$2,633	$6.95	$2,265 – $3,002	1 d
Philadelphia, PA	2,797 mi	$14,023	$5.01	$12,060 – $15,986	6 d
San Antonio, TX	1,371 mi	$6,119	$4.46	$5,262 – $6,975	3 d
San Diego, CA	78 mi	$1,316	$16.88	$1,132 – $1,501	1 d
Dallas, TX	1,425 mi	$6,317	$4.43	$5,433 – $7,202	3 d
Jacksonville, FL	2,492 mi	$14,917	$5.99	$12,829 – $17,006	6 d

More lanes into Chicago

48' flatbed lanes into Chicago, IL
From	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	847 mi	$2,984	$3.52	$2,566 – $3,401	2 d
Los Angeles, CA	2,063 mi	$8,247	$4.00	$7,092 – $9,402	5 d
Houston, TX	1,106 mi	$3,448	$3.12	$2,965 – $3,931	3 d
Phoenix, AZ	1,705 mi	$4,019	$2.36	$3,456 – $4,581	4 d
Philadelphia, PA	787 mi	$2,510	$3.19	$2,159 – $2,861	2 d
San Antonio, TX	1,236 mi	$3,769	$3.05	$3,241 – $4,296	3 d
San Diego, CA	2,034 mi	$8,145	$4.00	$7,005 – $9,286	5 d
Dallas, TX	942 mi	$3,044	$3.23	$2,618 – $3,470	2 d

About this lane

How much does it cost to ship a truckload from Lake Forest, CA to Chicago, IL?

A 48' flatbed from Lake Forest, CA to Chicago, IL is estimated at $8,142 all-in in October 2026, or $4.00 a mile over about 2,033 mi. Quotes typically land between $7,002 and $9,282.

How far is Lake Forest, CA from Chicago, IL by truck?

About 2,033 mi by road, estimated from the straight-line distance. A solo driver covers it in roughly 5 days of transit.

How much of the price is fuel?

About $1,986 of the $8,142 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $6,156 is linehaul.

Is it cheaper to ship from Chicago, IL to Lake Forest, CA?

The reverse direction is estimated at $7,462, which makes Lake Forest, CA to Chicago, IL 9% more expensive. 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