Lane · FLAT · Oct 2026

San Marcos, CA to Chicago, IL flatbed rate

$8,107flatbed

+3.4% from last month

Per mile: $4.01
Distance: 2,023 mi
Typical range: $6,972–$9,242
Transit: 5 days

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Flatbed · estimated all-in cost per load · monthly

San Marcos to Chicago price history

3 months: +8.7%
1 year: +18.6%
5 years: +24.9%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $6,131
Fuel: $1,976
All-in estimate: $8,107

Return trip

Chicago → San Marcos$7,430

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

San Marcos to Chicago by truck type

Estimated cost from San Marcos, CA to Chicago, IL by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$6,761	$3.34	$6,017 – $7,505
53' refrigerated	$8,053	$3.98	$7,006 – $9,100
48' flatbed	$8,107	$4.01	$6,972 – $9,242
Step deck	$8,821	$4.36	$7,410 – $10,232
Power only	$6,009	$2.97	$5,228 – $6,790
Hotshot	$4,537	$2.24	$3,766 – $5,308
26' box truck	$4,432	$2.19	$3,767 – $5,097
Sprinter van	$2,704	$1.34	$2,272 – $3,137

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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 San Marcos

48' flatbed lanes from San Marcos, CA
To	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	2,855 mi	$15,017	$5.26	$12,914 – $17,119	6 d
Los Angeles, CA	111 mi	$1,434	$12.92	$1,233 – $1,635	1 d
Houston, TX	1,536 mi	$6,726	$4.38	$5,784 – $7,667	4 d
Phoenix, AZ	348 mi	$2,512	$7.22	$2,160 – $2,863	1 d
Philadelphia, PA	2,783 mi	$13,960	$5.02	$12,005 – $15,914	6 d
San Antonio, TX	1,331 mi	$5,971	$4.49	$5,135 – $6,807	3 d
Dallas, TX	1,394 mi	$6,203	$4.45	$5,335 – $7,072	3 d
Jacksonville, FL	2,461 mi	$14,751	$5.99	$12,686 – $16,816	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 San Marcos, CA to Chicago, IL?

A 48' flatbed from San Marcos, CA to Chicago, IL is estimated at $8,107 all-in in October 2026, or $4.01 a mile over about 2,023 mi. Quotes typically land between $6,972 and $9,242.

How far is San Marcos, CA from Chicago, IL by truck?

About 2,023 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 $1,976 of the $8,107 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $6,131 is linehaul.

Is it cheaper to ship from Chicago, IL to San Marcos, CA?

The reverse direction is estimated at $7,430, which makes San Marcos, 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