Lane · STEP · Oct 2026

Milwaukee, WI to Houston, TX step deck rate

$5,146step deck

+3.3% from last month

Per mile: $4.34
Distance: 1,186 mi
Typical range: $4,322–$5,969
Transit: 3 days

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

Milwaukee to Houston price history

3 months: +8.8%
1 year: +18.6%
5 years: +25.1%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $3,950
Fuel: $1,196
All-in estimate: $5,146

Return trip

Houston → Milwaukee$4,165

This direction runs 24% above the return trip. Leaving WI prices above the national average and arriving in TX prices below it.

Milwaukee to Houston by truck type

Estimated cost from Milwaukee, WI to Houston, TX by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$3,901	$3.29	$3,472 – $4,330
53' refrigerated	$4,649	$3.92	$4,045 – $5,254
48' flatbed	$4,721	$3.98	$4,060 – $5,382
Step deck	$5,146	$4.34	$4,322 – $5,969
Power only	$3,442	$2.90	$2,995 – $3,890
Hotshot	$2,598	$2.19	$2,156 – $3,039
26' box truck	$2,547	$2.15	$2,165 – $2,929
Sprinter van	$1,561	$1.32	$1,311 – $1,810

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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 Milwaukee

Step deck lanes from Milwaukee, WI
To	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	873 mi	$5,268	$6.03	$4,425 – $6,110	2 d
Los Angeles, CA	2,063 mi	$7,912	$3.84	$6,646 – $9,178	5 d
Chicago, IL	101 mi	$1,320	$13.07	$1,109 – $1,531	1 d
Phoenix, AZ	1,718 mi	$7,454	$4.34	$6,261 – $8,646	4 d
Philadelphia, PA	821 mi	$4,789	$5.83	$4,023 – $5,555	2 d
San Antonio, TX	1,306 mi	$5,561	$4.26	$4,672 – $6,451	3 d
San Diego, CA	2,040 mi	$7,835	$3.84	$6,581 – $9,089	5 d
Dallas, TX	1,009 mi	$4,533	$4.49	$3,807 – $5,258	3 d

More lanes into Houston

Step deck lanes into Houston, TX
From	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	1,675 mi	$5,893	$3.52	$4,950 – $6,836	4 d
Los Angeles, CA	1,627 mi	$7,687	$4.72	$6,457 – $8,917	4 d
Chicago, IL	1,106 mi	$5,061	$4.58	$4,251 – $5,870	3 d
Phoenix, AZ	1,198 mi	$3,434	$2.87	$2,884 – $3,983	3 d
Philadelphia, PA	1,585 mi	$4,995	$3.15	$4,196 – $5,794	4 d
San Antonio, TX	224 mi	$1,471	$6.57	$1,235 – $1,706	1 d
San Diego, CA	1,532 mi	$7,308	$4.77	$6,139 – $8,477	4 d
Dallas, TX	263 mi	$1,580	$6.01	$1,327 – $1,833	1 d

About this lane

How much does it cost to ship a truckload from Milwaukee, WI to Houston, TX?

A Step deck from Milwaukee, WI to Houston, TX is estimated at $5,146 all-in in October 2026, or $4.34 a mile over about 1,186 mi. Quotes typically land between $4,322 and $5,969.

How far is Milwaukee, WI from Houston, TX by truck?

About 1,186 mi by road, estimated from the straight-line distance. A solo driver covers it in roughly 3 days of transit.

How much of the price is fuel?

About $1,196 of the $5,146 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $3,950 is linehaul.

Is it cheaper to ship from Houston, TX to Milwaukee, WI?

The reverse direction is estimated at $4,165, which makes Milwaukee, WI to Houston, TX 24% 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