Lane · FLAT · Oct 2026

Palm Desert, CA to Houston, TX flatbed rate

$6,542flatbed

+3.3% from last month

Per mile: $4.40
Distance: 1,486 mi
Typical range: $5,626–$7,457
Transit: 4 days

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Flatbed · estimated all-in cost per load · monthly

Palm Desert to Houston price history

3 months: +8.6%
1 year: +18.6%
5 years: +25.0%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $5,090
Fuel: $1,452
All-in estimate: $6,542

Return trip

Houston → Palm Desert$4,454

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

Palm Desert to Houston by truck type

Estimated cost from Palm Desert, CA to Houston, TX by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$5,429	$3.65	$4,832 – $6,026
53' refrigerated	$6,468	$4.35	$5,628 – $7,309
48' flatbed	$6,542	$4.40	$5,626 – $7,457
Step deck	$7,124	$4.79	$5,984 – $8,264
Power only	$4,806	$3.23	$4,182 – $5,431
Hotshot	$3,628	$2.44	$3,011 – $4,245
26' box truck	$3,551	$2.39	$3,019 – $4,084
Sprinter van	$2,172	$1.46	$1,824 – $2,519

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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 Palm Desert

48' flatbed lanes from Palm Desert, CA
To	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	2,785 mi	$14,683	$5.27	$12,627 – $16,738	6 d
Los Angeles, CA	140 mi	$1,537	$10.98	$1,322 – $1,752	1 d
Chicago, IL	1,951 mi	$7,855	$4.03	$6,755 – $8,954	5 d
Phoenix, AZ	290 mi	$2,284	$7.88	$1,964 – $2,604	1 d
Philadelphia, PA	2,713 mi	$13,642	$5.03	$11,732 – $15,552	6 d
San Antonio, TX	1,285 mi	$5,802	$4.52	$4,990 – $6,614	3 d
San Diego, CA	92 mi	$1,366	$14.85	$1,175 – $1,558	1 d
Dallas, TX	1,336 mi	$5,990	$4.48	$5,151 – $6,828	3 d

More lanes into Houston

48' flatbed lanes into Houston, TX
From	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	1,675 mi	$5,413	$3.23	$4,655 – $6,171	4 d
Los Angeles, CA	1,627 mi	$7,060	$4.34	$6,072 – $8,049	4 d
Chicago, IL	1,106 mi	$4,642	$4.20	$3,992 – $5,291	3 d
Phoenix, AZ	1,198 mi	$3,150	$2.63	$2,709 – $3,591	3 d
Philadelphia, PA	1,585 mi	$4,587	$2.89	$3,945 – $5,229	4 d
San Antonio, TX	224 mi	$1,337	$5.97	$1,150 – $1,525	1 d
San Diego, CA	1,532 mi	$6,711	$4.38	$5,771 – $7,650	4 d
Dallas, TX	263 mi	$1,438	$5.47	$1,237 – $1,640	1 d

About this lane

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

A 48' flatbed from Palm Desert, CA to Houston, TX is estimated at $6,542 all-in in October 2026, or $4.40 a mile over about 1,486 mi. Quotes typically land between $5,626 and $7,457.

How far is Palm Desert, CA from Houston, TX by truck?

About 1,486 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 $1,452 of the $6,542 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $5,090 is linehaul.

Is it cheaper to ship from Houston, TX to Palm Desert, CA?

The reverse direction is estimated at $4,454, which makes Palm Desert, CA to Houston, TX 47% more expensive. Direction matters because trucks are scarcer leaving some markets than others.

Figures are estimates for a standard full load. Get a firm quote for this lane →