Billings to Salt Lake City Truck Dispatch
Freight route connecting Billings, MT to Salt Lake City, UT (555 miles). Connects Billings/Missoula to Utah's Mountain West crossroads via I-15/I-90.
What do truck dispatch rates run from Billings to Salt Lake City?
Billings to Salt Lake City is a 555-mile lane paying about $1,249 - $1,499 per load, near $2.25 - $2.70 a mile. Freight is mostly consumer goods, intermodal/port-connected freight and cold-storage-connected freight.
- Distance
- 555 miles
- Avg. rate / load
- $1,276 - $1,498
- Rate per mile
- $2.30 - $2.70
- Transit time
- 1 day
- Deadhead risk
- 25-30%
Lane rates reviewed September 2026. These numbers follow 2026 spot-market pricing for this Northern Rockies-to-Mountain West corridor. See our dispatch fee structure.
Billings to Salt Lake City
Billings to Salt Lake City is a 555-mile, multi-hour run south, connecting Montana's biggest freight hub to the Mountain West's fastest-growing logistics hub. The Utah Inland Port is a 16,000-acre logistics development engineered specifically for ocean-container transload from LA/Long Beach, with intermodal yards handling more than 500,000 TEU a year.
Origin
Billings, MT
Destination
Salt Lake City, UT
Distance
555 miles
Transit Time
1 day
Average Rate
$1,276 - $1,498
Rate per Mile
$2.30 - $2.70
555-mile lane, a multi-hour run south
The Utah Inland Port is a 16,000-acre logistics development for ocean-container transload from LA/Long Beach
Salt Lake City's intermodal yards handle over 500,000 TEU annually with access reaching 70% of US markets
Billings to Salt Lake City: route facts a driver should know
Salt Lake City is home to a 16,000-acre inland port
The Utah Inland Port, in Salt Lake City's Northwest Quadrant, is a 16,000-acre logistics development integrated with I-15, I-80, Class I rail, and the airport, designed for ocean-container transload from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
Source: Utah Inland Port Authority. Checked 30 Sep 2026.
Billings runs three oil refineries
Yellowstone County is home to three oil refineries: Phillips 66 in Billings, Par Pacific in Lockwood, and CHS Inc. in nearby Laurel, making Billings a genuine fuel-freight hub.
Source: Wikipedia, Billings Refinery (Phillips 66). Checked 30 Sep 2026.
Diesel for this lane
How much is the diesel for Billings to Salt Lake City?
About $548.34 this week. The lane is 555 miles. A truck that gets 6.5 miles per gallon uses about 85 gallons, and diesel is averaging $6.42 a gallon on this lane (week of October 19, 2026). The U.S. average diesel price is up 10 cents this week.
An estimate. It uses EIA's weekly average for this region, not the price at each pump. Your mpg and fuel card discounts change it.
- Distance
- 555 mi
- Diesel needed
- 85 gal
- Price used
- $6.42/gal
- Fuel cost
- $548.34
Common Freight Types
Consumer goods, intermodal/port-connected freight and cold-storage-connected freight fill the trailers heading south.
- Consumer Goods
- Technology Equipment
- Manufacturing Equipment
What makes the Billings to Salt Lake City lane difficult?
The length requires careful hours-of-service and fuel-stop planning
The length requires careful hours-of-service and fuel-stop planning.
Winter weather across Montana and Wyoming can significantly affect road conditions
Winter weather across Montana and Wyoming can significantly affect road conditions.
Sparse population along much of the route limits mid-lane reload options
Sparse population along much of the route limits mid-lane reload options.
What freight moves on the Billings to Salt Lake City lane?
What travels between Billings and Salt Lake City, and why the Utah Inland Port matters here.
Primary Commodities
- •Consumer Goods
- •Technology Equipment
- •Manufacturing Equipment
Secondary Commodities
- •Intermodal/port-connected freight (Utah Inland Port)
- •Cold-storage/refrigerated-connected freight
- •Consumer goods
Seasonal Cargo
Peak seasons for this lane:
- •Consumer goods (holiday import/export surge)
- •Intermodal-connected freight (steady, growing)
- •Cold-storage-connected freight (steady)
When is the Billings to Salt Lake City lane busiest?
Import/export timing and steady intermodal freight both shape this lane.
Q1 (Jan-Mar): Slow Period?
A modest dip after the holidays as import/export volume normalizes.
Q4 (Oct-Dec): Peak Period?
Import/export-connected freight and consumer goods both climb ahead of the holidays.
Produce Season?
Not a major factor on this lane.
- •Q4 holiday import/export season
- •Steady intermodal/port-connected freight year-round
- •Summer freight demand
Hurricane Risk?
None. Winter weather across Montana and Wyoming is this corridor's real seasonal risk.
Seasonal Strategy Summary
This lane runs fairly steady year-round, without a major seasonal swing to plan around.
How do I negotiate the best rate on the Billings to Salt Lake City lane?
When to book, who pays extra, and which loads need extra planning.
When to Book
Suggested booking window:
2-3 days out is typical for this haul.
What Brokers Pay More
Loads that command more:
Time-critical intermodal/port-connected freight tends to pay a premium.
When to Avoid
Loads to price carefully:
Be careful committing to a tight winter delivery without checking road conditions.
Rate Negotiation Tips for Billings to Salt Lake City
- •
This is a long haul at 550 miles, so plan for a solid one-day trip.
- •
Inland-port-linked container freight is worth asking about given Salt Lake City's 16,000-acre logistics development.
- •
Fuel and tanker freight out of Billings is another option here.
How do I find a backhaul load on the Billings to Salt Lake City lane?
The Utah Inland Port's rapid growth makes a northbound load realistic.
Best Return Cities
Where to look for the return load:
- •Salt Lake City, UT
- •Regional distribution hubs near Salt Lake City
Deadhead Risk %
Deadhead risk on this lane: 25-30%
With intermodal yards handling over 500,000 TEU annually, there is real backhaul variety at the far end of this run.
Alternative Routes
If the first load falls through, try these:
- •Salt Lake City's Silicon Slopes tech freight is a steady, less-seasonal backhaul option.
Backhaul Optimization Tips
- •
Salt Lake City's inland port gives you strong backhaul odds in almost any direction.
- •
Billings's three-refinery fuel economy keeps northbound loads flowing too.
- •
Give yourself real recovery time after this long run before your next dispatch.
What do experienced dispatchers know about the Billings to Salt Lake City lane?
Three notes before this Mountain West corridor run.
Plan your hours-of-service and fuel stops before this multi-hour run.
Check Montana and Wyoming winter road conditions closely before a late-fall through early-spring run.
Consider intermodal-connected freight windows tied to the Inland Port's container-transload schedule.
Salt Lake City's growing inland port makes this worth prioritizing as container-transload freight expands.
Billings to Salt Lake City Lane FAQs
Answers on drive time, the Utah Inland Port, and market conditions.
The lane data shows about $1,249 - $1,499 per load, or $2.25 - $2.70 a mile, across 555 miles.
A 16,000-acre logistics development engineered for ocean-container transload from LA/Long Beach, with intermodal yards handling over 500,000 TEU a year.
It's a multi-hour run given the 555 miles.
Reasonably, given the Inland Port's rapid growth and UPS's new regional operations hub there.
Other Montana freight lanes we dispatch
- Billings to Rapid City
- Billings to Portland
- Billings to Seattle
- Billings to Fargo
- Billings to Cheyenne
- Billings to Bozeman
Local resources
Also serving the other end of this lane
Dry Van owner-operator, West Coast: +$2,010/week after moving to $2.62/mi on general freight / consumer goods freight.
Read the case studyNeed help running Billings, MT to Salt Lake City, UT consistently?
Running Billings to Salt Lake City often? Ask about a free custom growth plan.