Lane · FLAT · Oct 2026

Watertown, SD to Chicago, IL flatbed rate

$2,755flatbed

+3.5% from last month

Per mile: $4.49
Distance: 614 mi
Typical range: $2,369–$3,140
Transit: 2 days

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Flatbed · estimated all-in cost per load · monthly

Watertown to Chicago price history

3 months: +8.7%
1 year: +18.8%
5 years: +25.1%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $2,155
Fuel: $600
All-in estimate: $2,755

Return trip

Chicago → Watertown$3,070

This direction runs 10% below the return trip. Leaving SD prices above the national average and arriving in IL prices below it.

Watertown to Chicago by truck type

Estimated cost from Watertown, SD to Chicago, IL by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$2,240	$3.65	$1,993 – $2,486
53' refrigerated	$2,672	$4.35	$2,325 – $3,019
48' flatbed	$2,755	$4.49	$2,369 – $3,140
Step deck	$3,012	$4.90	$2,530 – $3,494
Power only	$1,950	$3.18	$1,696 – $2,203
Hotshot	$1,470	$2.39	$1,220 – $1,720
26' box truck	$1,452	$2.36	$1,234 – $1,670
Sprinter van	$896	$1.46	$753 – $1,039

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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 Watertown

48' flatbed lanes from Watertown, SD
To	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	1,426 mi	$7,117	$4.99	$6,121 – $8,114	3 d
Los Angeles, CA	1,598 mi	$5,836	$3.65	$5,019 – $6,653	4 d
Houston, TX	1,238 mi	$4,887	$3.95	$4,203 – $5,571	3 d
Phoenix, AZ	1,316 mi	$5,478	$4.16	$4,711 – $6,245	3 d
Philadelphia, PA	1,379 mi	$6,586	$4.78	$5,664 – $7,508	3 d
San Antonio, TX	1,262 mi	$4,964	$3.93	$4,269 – $5,659	3 d
San Diego, CA	1,599 mi	$5,839	$3.65	$5,022 – $6,657	4 d
Dallas, TX	988 mi	$4,089	$4.14	$3,516 – $4,661	3 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 Watertown, SD to Chicago, IL?

A 48' flatbed from Watertown, SD to Chicago, IL is estimated at $2,755 all-in in October 2026, or $4.49 a mile over about 614 mi. Quotes typically land between $2,369 and $3,140.

How far is Watertown, SD from Chicago, IL by truck?

About 614 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 $600 of the $2,755 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $2,155 is linehaul.

Is it cheaper to ship from Chicago, IL to Watertown, SD?

The reverse direction is estimated at $3,070, which makes Watertown, SD to Chicago, IL 10% 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