Lane · FLAT · Oct 2026

Waterloo, IA to Los Angeles, CA flatbed rate

$6,148flatbed

+3.3% from last month

Per mile: $3.42
Distance: 1,797 mi
Typical range: $5,287–$7,008
Transit: 4 days

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Flatbed · estimated all-in cost per load · monthly

Waterloo to Los Angeles price history

3 months: +8.6%
1 year: +18.8%
5 years: +24.8%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $4,393
Fuel: $1,755
All-in estimate: $6,148

Return trip

Los Angeles → Waterloo$7,474

This direction runs 18% below the return trip. Leaving IA prices above the national average and arriving in CA prices below it.

Waterloo to Los Angeles by truck type

Estimated cost from Waterloo, IA to Los Angeles, CA by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$5,118	$2.85	$4,555 – $5,681
53' refrigerated	$6,097	$3.39	$5,304 – $6,889
48' flatbed	$6,148	$3.42	$5,287 – $7,008
Step deck	$6,691	$3.72	$5,621 – $7,762
Power only	$4,543	$2.53	$3,952 – $5,133
Hotshot	$3,429	$1.91	$2,846 – $4,012
26' box truck	$3,352	$1.87	$2,850 – $3,855
Sprinter van	$2,047	$1.14	$1,720 – $2,375

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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 Waterloo

48' flatbed lanes from Waterloo, IA
To	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	1,131 mi	$5,618	$4.97	$4,832 – $6,405	3 d
Chicago, IL	287 mi	$1,678	$5.85	$1,443 – $1,913	1 d
Houston, TX	1,055 mi	$4,101	$3.89	$3,526 – $4,675	3 d
Phoenix, AZ	1,456 mi	$5,675	$3.90	$4,881 – $6,470	4 d
Philadelphia, PA	1,073 mi	$5,127	$4.78	$4,410 – $5,845	3 d
San Antonio, TX	1,137 mi	$4,350	$3.83	$3,741 – $4,959	3 d
San Diego, CA	1,775 mi	$6,083	$3.43	$5,231 – $6,934	4 d
Dallas, TX	840 mi	$3,446	$4.10	$2,964 – $3,929	2 d

More lanes into Los Angeles

48' flatbed lanes into Los Angeles, CA
From	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	2,902 mi	$8,497	$2.93	$7,308 – $9,687	7 d
Chicago, IL	2,063 mi	$7,559	$3.66	$6,500 – $8,617	5 d
Houston, TX	1,627 mi	$4,807	$2.95	$4,134 – $5,480	4 d
Phoenix, AZ	430 mi	$1,476	$3.43	$1,269 – $1,683	1 d
Philadelphia, PA	2,831 mi	$7,378	$2.61	$6,345 – $8,411	6 d
San Antonio, TX	1,425 mi	$4,301	$3.02	$3,699 – $4,903	3 d
San Diego, CA	131 mi	$1,505	$11.49	$1,294 – $1,716	1 d
Dallas, TX	1,474 mi	$4,424	$3.00	$3,805 – $5,043	4 d

About this lane

How much does it cost to ship a truckload from Waterloo, IA to Los Angeles, CA?

A 48' flatbed from Waterloo, IA to Los Angeles, CA is estimated at $6,148 all-in in October 2026, or $3.42 a mile over about 1,797 mi. Quotes typically land between $5,287 and $7,008.

How far is Waterloo, IA from Los Angeles, CA by truck?

About 1,797 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 $1,755 of the $6,148 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $4,393 is linehaul.

Is it cheaper to ship from Los Angeles, CA to Waterloo, IA?

The reverse direction is estimated at $7,474, which makes Waterloo, IA to Los Angeles, CA 18% cheaper. 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