Imperial Valley & Arizona to Chicago
What a refrigerated truckload of produce costs from Imperial, Palo Verde and Coachella valleys, California, and central and western Arizona to Chicago, week by week, from USDA’s National Truck Rate Report. The lane is out of season right now; it was last quoted the week of Nov 8, 2021, at $7,000–8,200 a load.
- Last quoted
- Nov 8, 2021
- Range
- $7,000–8,200
- Mostly
- $7,200–7,700
- Trucks
- Slight Shortage
How the last quote compared · On the low side
The lowest of the 8 weeks on record.
Lowest on recordHighest on record
Months it has been quoted in: June to July, November.
Rate per mile The last quote, for your trip
Enter the trip’s miles to turn the $7,000–8,200 rate into dollars per mile.
Freight cost per case What the truck adds to each case and pound
Enter how many cases fill the truck to spread the $7,000–8,200 rate across them.
Every week on record Jun 7, 2021 to Nov 8, 2021
The shaded band runs from the lowest to the highest rate USDA reported each week; the line is the middle of the “mostly” range, or of the full range when USDA gives no “mostly”. Gaps are weeks the lane wasn’t quoted.
Week by week The last 8 quotes
| Week of | Range | Mostly | Change | Trucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 8, 2021 | $7,000–8,200 | $7,200–7,700 | — | Slight Shortage |
| Jul 19, 2021 | $7,700–8,900 | $8,400–8,900 | +1% | Slight Shortage |
| Jul 12, 2021 | $7,800–8,800 | $8,400–8,800 | 0% | Slight Shortage |
| Jul 5, 2021 | $7,800–8,800 | $8,400–8,800 | 0% | Slight Shortage |
| Jun 28, 2021 | $7,800–8,800 | $8,500–8,700 | +8% | Slight Shortage |
| Jun 21, 2021 | $7,300–8,800 | $7,600–8,400 | 0% | Slight Shortage |
| Jun 14, 2021 | $7,200–8,800 | $7,600–8,400 | — | Slight Shortage |
| Jun 7, 2021 | $7,200–8,800 | $7,600–8,400 | — | Slight Shortage |
Into Chicago this week Cheapest first
| From | Range |
|---|---|
| Florida, statewide | $2,150–2,350 |
| Georgia | $2,200–2,400 |
| South Texas | $3,600–4,400 |
| Nogales, AZ | $6,200–6,400 |
| Salinas, CA | $6,810–7,130 |
| Imperial Valley & Yuma | $7,280–7,630 |
| Kern, CA | $7,460–7,980 |
| Yakima & Wenatchee, WA | $7,200–8,800 |
| South & Central CA | $7,825–8,115 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $7,920–8,295 |
About these numbers
Rates are USDA’s, for a full load in a 48 to 53 foot refrigerated trailer, broker fees included, as reported in the Specialty Crops National Truck Rate Report. The range is the lowest to highest rate reported that week; “mostly” is where most loads moved. USDA names this shipping area “IMPERIAL, PALO VERDE AND COACHELLA VALLEYS CALIFORNIA, CENTRAL AND WESTERN ARIZONA”. The latest report was published Oct 28, 2026; the next is due Wed, Nov 4, 2026.
The rate sheet has every lane for this week, how the data is collected, and the whole history as a CSV download. Source: USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, Specialty Crops Market News.