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Jennifer Cook is a writer for USA TODAY Homefront and has spent hours perusing sample warranty contracts from vehicle manufacturers and warranty providers. She began her career in automotive content researching insurance and vehicle shipping companies. Jennifer is based in the sleepy town of Cedar Mountain, North Carolina and spends much of her time exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains. She hopes to become an accomplished scuba diver in the coming years but knows that fear of sharks is a healthy thing.
Shipping cars to and from Hawaii usually involves preparing paperwork to ship from port.
Hawaii auto transport can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000 depending on distance, vehicle type and shipping services.
The cheapest way to ship your car to Hawaii is shipping from the West Coast by boat and using the RORO pick-up option.
With a network of auto shipping methods, including trailer transport, boats, trains and airplanes, shipping a car to or from Hawaii is easier than you may think. Many of the best car shipping companies offer Hawaii car shipping, typically using port-to-door and port-to-port delivery services.
In this article, we’ll explain how to ship a car and how transportation typically works to Hawaii. We’ll also go over the costs of shipping to the islands, tips to make the process as seamless and recommendations to make the trip as affordable as possible.
Shipping a vehicle to Hawaii works a lot like shipping a car to any other state. The primary differences are that the carrier will ship your vehicle by boat and that you may need additional paperwork for the process.
Car shipping should begin with vetting companies, requesting instant quotes and comparing service options. For peace of mind when working with a shipping company, always take the time to review the following before committing to a contract:
In our review of over 20 providers — researched and rated by factors such as industry reputation, customer feedback and shipping services — Montway Auto Transport, Mercury Auto Transport and AmeriFreight came out on top.
Once you’ve reviewed services, quotes and insurance coverages, you can choose which company best suits your budget and shipping needs. During this step, you’ll finalize a pick-up location and date, provide any required down payment and review the details of the company’s shipping and delivery processes.
Most companies that offer this type of shipping have terminals in well-known cities in California. However, port-to-port shipping may be available from other states, especially along the Pacific coast. Popular mainland ports for shipping a vehicle to Hawaii include:
Major ports in Hawaii are on the main or Big Island, O’ahu, Maui and Kauai. These include Hilo, Honolulu, Kahului and Nawiliwili. However, some auto shipping companies also offer services to Molokai and Lanai.
No matter which port you choose, you’ll need to get your vehicle thereby having it picked up by a carrier or driving it yourself. Once your car arrives on its destination island, you must travel to the company’s designated shipping terminal for final inspection and pick-up. Alternatively, you can meet the carrier’s driver at your delivery destination.
Roll-on/roll-off (RORO) shipping is one of the most affordable types of vehicle transport service for drivers looking to ship to Hawaii. It works exactly as the name describes, and the carrier will move your vehicle onto and off a cargo ship. This means you’ll need to be at each of the carrier’s shipping terminals to drop off or pick up your vehicle.
If you live on the East Coast, you’ll need to ship your car or drive it yourself.
When shipping your vehicle to Hawaii, you can ensure a positive experience by taking a few steps to prepare.
Most importantly, document all damages on the bill of lading. You should keep a copy of the bill of lading. If needed, this can prove any damages that occurred during transit did not exist when the vehicle was shipped.
Shipping your car to Hawaii involves shipping between ports. For this reason, more paperwork may be necessary to complete the job.
To prepare yourself, start by ensuring you have a valid ID, vehicle title and registration information for your car. If you’re financing or leasing your vehicle, you’ll need a lienholder’s authorization form, which provides permission to transfer the vehicle from port to port.
The two most important documents you’ll deal with when shipping your car to Hawaii are the bill of lading and the absent owner authorization form.
A bill of lading is a legal document serving multiple functions during shipping. It’s a contract between you and your shipping carrier that describes the condition of your vehicle throughout the shipping process and the details of the shipping service rendered.
An absent owner authorization may be required when shipping your car to Hawaii or select port destinations. This form allows carriers to pick up your vehicle in your absence once it arrives at port.
In most cases, you’ll need to drive to a designated shipping terminal to drop off your vehicle for shipping. Once you arrive, your carrier will thoroughly inspect the vehicle and document any existing damages or issues in the bill of lading. You’ll need to confirm these details and sign the document before the carrier will accept your vehicle.
If you’re shipping your vehicle to Hawaii from the central or eastern U.S., you may have it shipped to the port instead. In this case, the carrier may meet you at your chosen pick-up location for the inspection and vehicle handover.
When your vehicle arrives at your destination port, you’ll either have it shipped to your chosen destination or pick it up at the carrier’s shipping terminal, as with roll-on, roll-off shipping. Either way, you’ll need to meet your carrier and perform an inspection. Once you sign off on your vehicle’s condition, you’ll pay any remaining shipping fees and your keys will be back in your hands.
Shipping a car to Hawaii can take one to six weeks, though transit times can be as short as three weeks. The total time to ship your car to Hawaii varies based on many factors, including the company you choose, port loading and unloading times, and how far away from the company’s shipping terminals your vehicle will be picked up or delivered.
Based on estimates from reputable Hawaii car transport providers, most drivers pay between $1,000 and $2,500 to ship their vehicles to the islands. When available, vehicle shipping rates for transport from Alaska to Hawaii can cost upward of $5,000.
How much you’ll pay depends on several factors, including these:
How your car will be shipped to Hawaii depends on where you’re shipping it from.
If you’re located along or near the West Coast, save money and shipping time by choosing a company that ships to Hawaii from a nearby terminal. Check if the company offers port-to-door delivery for added convenience.
If you’re looking to get your car to Hawaii from the central or eastern U.S., you’ll either need to drive the vehicle yourself or find a company that offers shipping to a port city. Some shipping brokers offer over-road shipping within the lower 48 states and port-to-port shipping to states such as Hawaii and Alaska. Others have shipping terminals in eastern port cities such as New York, though this is rarer and will likely cost more than shipping from a West Coast port.
When requesting quotes for companies with over-road and port-to-port shipping, we recommend getting quotes for both open and enclosed shipping methods, as well as port-to-door delivery. While open transport with terminal pickup is most cost-effective for you and the carrier, a more custom delivery experience could be within your budget.
Shipping your car to Hawaii, no matter where you ship it from, is a reasonably straightforward process. By working with reputable shipping providers with terminals operating in port cities, you can have your vehicle shipped to any Hawaiian islands using port-to-port or port-to-door delivery.
In our review of providers, we found that Montway is our pick for the best car shipping company for Hawaii transport. We also recommend getting quotes from SGT Auto Transport, Sherpa and Nexus.
Use the tool below to start comparing Hawaii car shipping quotes with our top companies:
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Homefront has an affiliate disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Homefront editorial staff alone (see About Homefront). Homefront adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is believed to be accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
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