logo
  • Home
  • FAQs
  • User Videos
  • Quote Calculator
866-221-1664
Get Your Free Quote
logo
866-221-1664
  • Home
  • FAQs
  • User Videos
  • Quote Calculator
Get Your Free Quote
Get Your Free Quote

How Much Does It Cost to Ship a Car to Hawaii?

50,000+ Reviews
1,000,000+ Customers Helped
Home  |  Car Shipping   |   How Much Does It Cost to Ship a Car to Hawaii?
Ship a car by sea to Hawaii

So you've decided to take the plunge and move to Hawaii. Congratulations! The islands are wonderful places to live, and you're sure to enjoy your new life in paradise. But before you can start packing your bags and saying aloha to your friends and family on the mainland, there's one important question you need to answer: how are you going to get your car to Hawaii?

If you're like most people, you probably don't want to leave your beloved car behind. After all, it's not just a mode of transportation; it's a part of your life. Fortunately, you can ship your car by sea to Hawaii. 

In this blog post, we'll take a look at shipping your car by sea to Hawaii. By the time you're finished reading, you'll know exactly what you need to know to get your car from point A (the mainland) to point B (the Hawaiian Islands). Let's get started!

How to Prepare Your Car for Shipment by Sea

Shipping your car to Hawaii by sea is a popular method for many who want to bring their vehicle, but it requires some preparation.

Step 1: Choose a Port

The first step in preparing your car for shipment by sea is selecting a port. Hawaii has three main ports where cargo ships dock: Seattle, Oakland, and Long Beach. Determine which port is nearest to your location to make transportation easier and less expensive.

Step 2: Check your car's condition

The next step is ensuring your car is in good condition to prevent mishaps during shipment. Check your car's brakes, tire pressure, and fluid levels. Remove any personal items from the car, turn off any alarms, and make sure the fuel tank is not more than a quarter full. Taking these steps minimizes the risks of car damage during shipping.

Step 3: Hire a Shipping company

Hiring a reliable shipping company will guarantee a smooth and timely shipment of your car to Hawaii. Research shipping companies online and check reviews from previous clients to ensure you choose a reputable company. Make sure the shipping company provides you with all the necessary documents, including a Bill of Lading.

If you want a hands-off approach, consider hiring a white glove service like Ship a Car Direct. 

How Much to Ship a Car to Hawaii?

When you ship your car to Hawaii, you’ll have to use container shipping. Container shipping offers protection for your car since it will be shipped in its own container. Lift-on/Lift-off (LO/LO) shipping involves loading your car onto a smaller carrier using a crane. 

So how much does it cost? That depends on a few different factors, including the size of your car and the port you're shipping from. However, in general, you can expect to pay somewhere in the range of $1,500-$2,100 for boat shipping.

Shipping a Car to Hawaii 

Be sure to prepare your car for the journey and prepare yourself by knowing the price to ship a car to Hawaii. These are just a few things to keep in mind when deciding to ship your car from the mainland to Hawaii. No matter which option you choose in the end, we wish you all the best on your move to paradise! Aloha!

Frequently Asked Questions

Honest Answers to Your Car Shipping Questions

Yes, we always ask for your specific pickup and delivery addresses, if the carrier can get right to the addresses you provide, they will. If the addresses that you give us are not safely accessible for a Multi-car carrier, however, you will need to make arrangements with the driver to meet at a nearby location where the carrier can safely get in and out.

People do it all the time (rarely for free) but the official answer is no.

Not what you wanted to hear, we know, but that is the honest answer.

We are not licensed to broker the shipment of household goods and, likewise, no car carrier that operates in the USA is licensed to transport them from state to state either. Despite what you might be being told by other car shipping companies you may speak with.

Remember, at the end of the day we're all salespeople, and the true answer to this question is not a great selling point.

You will hear a lot of companies tell you that you can put up to 100 pounds of items in the trunk, but that is not entirely true. That fact is that items of that amount are fairly common and the department of transportation is probably not going to split hairs and fine the trucker over items of that amount, provided they are not over their weight limit. They could fine them, however, if they see a vehicle stuffed full of personal items so the car carrier will most likely try to negotiate something with you to cover themselves against any costs they could incur. It's not something we can build into your contract though.

We have a short and helpful video on this topic in our user videos.

Only in rare cases and car carriers will usually charge a premium to make it happen.

All dates given by car carriers are typically estimates and projections.

For this reason (and to keep your cost down) we ask that you build in some flexibility and give us the earliest possible date you would be WILLING to release the vehicle, even though it may not be your preferred date.

We'll put you in direct contact with your car carrier and the driver will also typically call you the afternoon or evening before your pick up and delivery (they won't just show up unannounced, and if they do we want to hear about it). However, car carriers are out on the road battling traffic, weather and any number of other factors that can and do throw them off of their pickup and delivery projections from time to time.

If the projected dates we give you come and you are unable to make contact with your carrier, please call our office immediately so that we may help resolve the situation.

The average transit time from pick up to delivery on any vehicle going coast to coast will average 7 to 10 days. From there you can figure your transit time based on how far your vehicle is traveling, i.e. from either coast to the Midwest might average 3-7 days.

Yes!

Even better, we do not even ask for payment until we have you confirmed for pickup by a safe, reliable, fully insured, direct car carrier. If for any reason you do not ship your car with the carrier that we arrange for you, there is no fee.

The fees paid directly to the carrier however, (in most cases, their fees are not paid until your vehicle is delivered) are not directly controlled by us, so any requests for a refund of the carrier's portion would need to be addressed with the carrier directly.

Of course! And you are always backed by our Damage Free Guarantee policy.

Part of what you pay us for is to verify that the car carrier that we put you on is covered by the proper amount of insurance and that everything is up to date.

There is never any additional cost to you for this coverage, and their insurance is always primary.

View All FAQs
Toyoto Subaru porsche bmw honda ford audi bmw

We’re Loved by Customers

See Reviews by Our Verified Buyers!

shipacardirect.com widget logo
Get Your Free Car Shipping Quote
Get Your Free Quote
  • About Ship a Car Direct
  • Quote Calculator
  • User Videos
  • FAQs
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
MC-632461
logo
© 2023 Ship a Car Direct. All Rights Reserved.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Site Map