Lane · HOT · Oct 2026

Merced, CA to Phoenix, AZ hotshot rate

$1,945hotshot

+3.4% from last month

Per mile: $3.06
Distance: 635 mi
Typical range: $1,615–$2,276
Transit: 2 days

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Hotshot · estimated all-in cost per load · monthly

Merced to Phoenix price history

3 months: +8.5%
1 year: +18.6%
5 years: +24.9%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $1,548
Fuel: $397
All-in estimate: $1,945

Return trip

Phoenix → Merced$1,013

This direction runs 92% above the return trip. Leaving CA prices above the national average and arriving in AZ prices below it.

Merced to Phoenix by truck type

Estimated cost from Merced, CA to Phoenix, AZ by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$2,961	$4.66	$2,635 – $3,286
53' refrigerated	$3,532	$5.56	$3,072 – $3,991
48' flatbed	$3,638	$5.73	$3,128 – $4,147
Step deck	$3,976	$6.26	$3,340 – $4,612
Power only	$2,580	$4.06	$2,244 – $2,915
Hotshot	$1,945	$3.06	$1,615 – $2,276
26' box truck	$1,920	$3.02	$1,632 – $2,208
Sprinter van	$1,184	$1.86	$995 – $1,374

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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

Hotshot lanes from Merced, CA
To	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	2,928 mi	$8,671	$2.96	$7,197 – $10,145	6 d
Los Angeles, CA	301 mi	$1,079	$3.58	$895 – $1,262	1 d
Chicago, IL	2,081 mi	$4,654	$2.24	$3,863 – $5,445	5 d
Houston, TX	1,805 mi	$4,304	$2.38	$3,573 – $5,036	4 d
Philadelphia, PA	2,864 mi	$8,082	$2.82	$6,708 – $9,455	6 d
San Antonio, TX	1,621 mi	$3,914	$2.41	$3,249 – $4,580	4 d
San Diego, CA	429 mi	$1,341	$3.13	$1,113 – $1,569	1 d
Dallas, TX	1,620 mi	$3,912	$2.41	$3,247 – $4,577	4 d

More lanes into Phoenix

Hotshot lanes into Phoenix, AZ
From	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	2,526 mi	$4,653	$1.84	$3,862 – $5,444	5 d
Los Angeles, CA	430 mi	$1,482	$3.45	$1,230 – $1,734	1 d
Chicago, IL	1,705 mi	$3,939	$2.31	$3,269 – $4,608	4 d
Houston, TX	1,198 mi	$2,267	$1.89	$1,881 – $2,652	3 d
Philadelphia, PA	2,451 mi	$4,019	$1.64	$3,336 – $4,703	5 d
San Antonio, TX	1,000 mi	$1,951	$1.95	$1,620 – $2,283	2 d
San Diego, CA	350 mi	$1,301	$3.72	$1,080 – $1,522	1 d
Dallas, TX	1,047 mi	$2,026	$1.94	$1,682 – $2,371	3 d

About this lane

How much does it cost to ship a truckload from Merced, CA to Phoenix, AZ?

A Hotshot from Merced, CA to Phoenix, AZ is estimated at $1,945 all-in in October 2026, or $3.06 a mile over about 635 mi. Quotes typically land between $1,615 and $2,276.

How far is Merced, CA from Phoenix, AZ by truck?

About 635 mi by road, estimated from the straight-line distance. A solo driver covers it in roughly 2 days of transit.

How much of the price is fuel?

About $397 of the $1,945 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $1,548 is linehaul.

Is it cheaper to ship from Phoenix, AZ to Merced, CA?

The reverse direction is estimated at $1,013, which makes Merced, CA to Phoenix, AZ 92% 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