Rio Grande Valley, TX to Chicago
What a refrigerated truckload of produce costs from Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas 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 May 22, 2023, at $3,500–4,000 a load.
- Last quoted
- May 22, 2023
- Range
- $3,500–4,000
- Change
- 0%
- Trucks
- Adequate
How the last quote compared · On the low side
Higher than 0 of the 11 earlier weeks on record.
Lowest on recordHighest on record
Months it has been quoted in: April to May.
Rate per mile The last quote, for your trip
Enter the trip’s miles to turn the $3,500–4,000 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 $3,500–4,000 rate across them.
Every week on record Apr 26, 2021 to May 22, 2023
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 12 quotes
| Week of | Range | Mostly | Change | Trucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 22, 2023 | $3,500–4,000 | — | 0% | Adequate |
| May 15, 2023 | $3,500–4,000 | — | 0% | Adequate |
| May 8, 2023 | $3,500–4,000 | — | 0% | Adequate |
| May 1, 2023 | $3,500–4,000 | — | −1% | Adequate |
| Apr 24, 2023 | $3,600–4,000 | — | 0% | Adequate |
| Apr 17, 2023 | $3,600–4,000 | — | −3% | Adequate |
| Apr 10, 2023 | $3,600–4,200 | — | — | Adequate |
| May 24, 2021 | $3,800–4,200 | — | 0% | Slight Shortage |
| May 17, 2021 | $3,800–4,200 | — | 0% | Slight Shortage |
| May 10, 2021 | $3,800–4,200 | — | −4% | Slight Shortage |
| May 3, 2021 | $3,800–4,500 | — | 0% | Slight Shortage |
| Apr 26, 2021 | $3,800–4,500 | — | — | 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 “LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY TEXAS”. 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.