California to Utah Motorcycle Shipping

California to Utah Motorcycle Shipping Rates by Bike Type

A standard cruiser or sport bike from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City runs about $425 to $600 on an open carrier, and about $600 to $850 enclosed. San Diego comes in at about $450 to $600 open, and a San Francisco pickup runs about $425 to $600.

St. George is its own market, sitting right on the Arizona line on I-15, and it is the closest Utah city to Los Angeles at about $350 to $500 open. Provo and Orem, along the same interstate, run about $425 to $575.

Bigger machines add to the quote. Figure $50 to $100 for a Gold Wing or other tourer, $150 to $300 for a trike or sidecar, and a winch charge for a non-runner.

Winter is the hard season, because snow can close canyon roads and slow traffic on I-15 along the Wasatch Front. Summer is hot in the south. Prices follow demand, so peak weeks cost more, and fall and winter are often cheaper outside snowbird lanes. See our money-saving tips for more.

I-15, I-80 and the Empty Stretch of I-70

Salt Lake City is where it all starts. Trailers coming from Southern California arrive on I-15, those from farther up the West Coast can come in on I-80 through Nevada, and those from Colorado use I-70 and I-15 or I-80 through Wyoming. I-15 is about 400 miles in Utah, from the Arizona line near St. George to the Idaho line near Portage, passing Cedar City, Provo, Salt Lake City and Ogden. Through Salt Lake City, I-15 and I-80 share about 3 miles of pavement near downtown.

I-70 is the unusual one. It starts at I-15 near Cove Fort, runs about 232 miles through central Utah, and climbs over the Wasatch Plateau at Emigrant Pass, 7,886 feet, the highest point of any Interstate in Utah. The stretch between Salina and Green River is about 104 miles with no services directly on the highway, and a pickup near there is a long way from anything.

I-80 runs west from Salt Lake City across the Bonneville Salt Flats to Wendover on the Nevada line, and northeast through Parleys Canyon to the Wyoming line near Evanston. Up in the canyon neighborhoods and ski towns the roads are steeper and narrower. Park City sits about 32 miles southeast of Salt Lake City at nearly 7,000 feet, so ask the carrier where it can park a trailer.

How Your Motorcycle Is Loaded and Secured for the Trip

A good driver loads a motorcycle upright. The front wheel goes into a chock so it can't move, and soft straps go around solid points like the frame or the lower triple clamp. The straps are tightened enough to hold the bike but not so much that they bottom out the forks. Hooks stay off your bars, levers and paint.

Enclosed trailers add a roof and walls, which helps in canyon snow and for fresh paint or a high-value bike. Open carriers are the standard choice and suit most bikes. Before the bike loads, read the condition report with the driver and take dated photos of your own. Compare both when it shows up in Utah.