The national step deck benchmark for the week of 13 July 2026 to 19 July 2026, snapshot recorded 13 July 2026: what the carrier is paid, what the shipper pays, what it works out to on a real lane, and what it leaves the truck once its own costs are covered.
| Measure | Week 29, 2026 | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Carrier rate per mile | $3.74 | What lands on the rate confirmation. |
| Shipper all-in per mile | $4.30 | Before any accessorial actually incurred on the load. |
| vs prior snapshot | n/c * | Not comparable — see below. |
| Snapshot recorded | 13 July 2026 | Never edited afterwards — this page keeps showing the week 29 number. |
No week-over-week change is shown. The previous snapshot was recorded on a different basis, and a percentage across that break would describe a change in how we build the number rather than a change in the step deck market.
The $3.74 benchmark assumes freight that is legal and normal on this equipment. These are the numbers that decide whether yours is:
| Trailer length | 48 ft and 53 ft; typically 37–43 ft of lower deck |
| Deck heights | Upper deck ~60″, lower deck ~40″ from the ground |
| Legal load height | About 10′ on the lower deck versus 8⁄6 on a flatbed |
| Max payload | 45,000–48,000 lb |
| Ramps | Some carry them, many do not — always state whether you need them |
Commonly shipped on step deck: Construction equipment, agricultural machinery, tall industrial parts, bundled steel, crated units, HVAC and generator sets, tanks.
Put the real figures on the posting. Every hour spent confirming a load is legal on the trailer is an hour nobody is paying for, and it is the most common reason a rate that looked fine ends up renegotiated at the dock.
This week’s benchmark multiplied by real lane distance. A starting point for a conversation rather than a quote — direction, season and the receiving requirement all move the true number, and none of them are in a national average.
| Lane | Distance | Carrier gets | Shipper pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peoria, IL → Houston, TX | 1,050 mi | $3,927 | $4,515 |
| Charlotte, NC → Kansas City, MO | 900 mi | $3,366 | $3,870 |
| Portland, OR → Salt Lake City, UT | 770 mi | $2,880 | $3,311 |
Distances are practical truck miles and will differ slightly from a car routing.
Against a working all-in operating cost of $1.90 per mile for a one-truck carrier, this week’s step deck benchmark of $3.74 leaves +$1.84 per loaded mile — about $1,288 on a 700-mile run, before deadhead and before any unpaid time at a dock.
That gap is not profit. It is what has to absorb the empty miles to the next pickup, a wait nobody paid for, a week with a bad reload, and the repair that has not happened yet. A rate that clears the floor by a few cents only works if nothing goes wrong. Work out your own cost per mile →
Week to week, mostly noise. Over a season, these are the things that actually decide where this benchmark sits.
| Height | The entire reason this trailer exists. Freight between roughly 8⁄6 and 10′ tall needs the lower deck to stay legal. |
| Trailer scarcity | There are far fewer step decks than flatbeds. On a thin lane you are competing for a small pool, and the rate reflects it. |
| Ramps | Self-propelled equipment needs ramps, and not every step deck carries them. Say so in the posting or you will lose a day. |
The full step deck rate hub → carries the rest, plus the specification table, the regional breakdown and the accessorial impact.
The national benchmark was $3.74 per mile to the carrier for the week of 13 July 2026 to 19 July 2026, which works out to about $4.30 all-in for the shipper before accessorials.
It depends entirely on your own cost per mile. Against a working all-in operating cost of $1.90 for a one-truck carrier it leaves +$1.84 per loaded mile — before deadhead, which typically takes a further sixth off it.
A national benchmark blends lanes running in both directions, appointment and FCFS freight, and every region at once. Your lane is one direction, one receiving requirement and one market. Direction alone can move a real quote by a third.
No. Detention, layover, TONU and lumper fees all sit outside the per-mile number. On a short lane they can be worth more than the whole margin — see the detention policy.
No, and deliberately so. This is a dated report and it keeps showing the week 29 number. The evergreen Step Deck rate hub always carries the current figure.