Lane · STEP · Oct 2026

Merced, CA to Austin, TX step deck rate

$7,727step deck

+3.3% from last month

Per mile: $4.72
Distance: 1,637 mi
Typical range: $6,491–$8,963
Transit: 4 days

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

Merced to Austin price history

3 months: +8.8%
1 year: +18.6%
5 years: +24.9%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $6,076
Fuel: $1,651
All-in estimate: $7,727

Return trip

Austin → Merced$5,261

This direction runs 47% above the return trip. Leaving CA prices above the national average and arriving in TX prices below it.

Merced to Austin by truck type

Estimated cost from Merced, CA to Austin, TX by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$5,900	$3.60	$5,251 – $6,549
53' refrigerated	$7,029	$4.29	$6,115 – $7,942
48' flatbed	$7,097	$4.34	$6,103 – $8,091
Step deck	$7,727	$4.72	$6,491 – $8,963
Power only	$5,230	$3.19	$4,550 – $5,910
Hotshot	$3,948	$2.41	$3,277 – $4,619
26' box truck	$3,862	$2.36	$3,283 – $4,441
Sprinter van	$2,360	$1.44	$1,982 – $2,737

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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 Merced

Step deck lanes from Merced, CA
To	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	2,928 mi	$16,704	$5.70	$14,031 – $19,377	7 d
Los Angeles, CA	301 mi	$2,316	$7.69	$1,945 – $2,686	1 d
Chicago, IL	2,081 mi	$9,041	$4.34	$7,595 – $10,488	5 d
Houston, TX	1,805 mi	$8,397	$4.65	$7,054 – $9,741	4 d
Phoenix, AZ	635 mi	$3,976	$6.26	$3,340 – $4,612	2 d
Philadelphia, PA	2,864 mi	$15,577	$5.44	$13,084 – $18,069	7 d
San Antonio, TX	1,621 mi	$7,663	$4.73	$6,437 – $8,889	4 d
San Diego, CA	429 mi	$2,810	$6.55	$2,360 – $3,259	1 d

More lanes into Austin

Step deck lanes into Austin, TX
From	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	1,785 mi	$6,221	$3.49	$5,226 – $7,217	4 d
Los Angeles, CA	1,455 mi	$7,001	$4.81	$5,880 – $8,121	4 d
Chicago, IL	1,149 mi	$5,215	$4.54	$4,381 – $6,050	3 d
Houston, TX	172 mi	$1,325	$7.70	$1,113 – $1,536	1 d
Phoenix, AZ	1,026 mi	$3,039	$2.96	$2,553 – $3,525	3 d
Philadelphia, PA	1,696 mi	$5,289	$3.12	$4,443 – $6,135	4 d
San Antonio, TX	87 mi	$1,086	$12.48	$912 – $1,259	1 d
San Diego, CA	1,360 mi	$6,621	$4.87	$5,562 – $7,681	3 d

About this lane

How much does it cost to ship a truckload from Merced, CA to Austin, TX?

A Step deck from Merced, CA to Austin, TX is estimated at $7,727 all-in in October 2026, or $4.72 a mile over about 1,637 mi. Quotes typically land between $6,491 and $8,963.

How far is Merced, CA from Austin, TX by truck?

About 1,637 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 $1,651 of the $7,727 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $6,076 is linehaul.

Is it cheaper to ship from Austin, TX to Merced, CA?

The reverse direction is estimated at $5,261, which makes Merced, CA to Austin, TX 47% 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