For a Honolulu Port pickup, wait until your booking confirms that the vehicle is available for collection. A vessel arriving in Honolulu does not, by itself, mean your car is ready to leave the port. For drop-off, use the receiving instructions and cutoff confirmed for your booking.
The vehicle facility is at 1411 Sand Island Parkway, Honolulu. Check the address and current receiving hours in your booking instructions before travelling. Your car's release status, the direction of travel and who will handle the port visit determine what you need to arrange.
Before collecting a car that arrived from the mainland
Check that the car has been released for pickup, then arrange your trip to the port. Keep your booking number and government-issued photo ID available. If someone else will collect the vehicle, arrange their authorization before they travel and confirm what identification they need to bring.
Matson's vehicle-shipping FAQ describes its pickup arrangements. If you booked through Car Shipping Hawaii, ask our team to confirm the instructions that apply to your booking. Do not assume that a friend or dealer representative can collect the vehicle without prior arrangements.
Plan how you will reach the port and drive the vehicle onward. Allow time to inspect the car and complete the release process. Avoid making another appointment depend on leaving the port at an exact minute.
Before dropping off a car bound for the mainland
Confirm the sailing cutoff and receiving arrangements first. The preparation for a Hawaii-to-mainland shipment includes documents that are not required in the same way for the westbound trip.
Car Shipping Hawaii's document checklist explains the title and registration requirements, financed vehicles, joint ownership and someone else making the drop-off. Send the required documents through the booking process before the port visit. The identification shown at the gate is a separate step.
If you are arranging mainland delivery, make sure the destination address is correct. If you will collect the car at the mainland port, plan around confirmed vehicle availability rather than the vessel's arrival alone.
Prepare the vehicle before the port visit
Follow the carrier's vehicle preparation requirements. The vehicle must meet the applicable operating and condition requirements. Fuel must be above one-eighth and below one-quarter of a tank. Clean the exterior and interior and remove personal belongings, subject to the carrier's stated permitted items.
Photograph the vehicle before handing it over. Include each side, the wheels and any existing damage. Keep those photographs with the booking paperwork so you can compare the condition when collecting the car.
How much time should you allow?
There are two different questions: how long the shipment takes and how long the port visit takes. Neither is answered by assuming a car becomes available immediately after the vessel arrives.
Use the transit guide to understand the shipment milestones. For the visit itself, follow the current carrier guidance and allow time for check-in, inspection and paperwork. Check receiving hours before setting out. Weather, operating conditions and the particular booking can affect your plans.
A final check before you leave home
• Confirm the vehicle is released for pickup, or that your drop-off meets the booking instructions. • Check the facility address, receiving hours and any appointment requirements. • Have the booking number and required identification ready. • Confirm authorization if someone else is handling the vehicle. • Keep your condition photographs and relevant booking paperwork accessible.
Car Shipping Hawaii coordinates your booking and helps clarify the handoff instructions. For a new shipment, get a quote and tell us where the vehicle is, where it needs to go and who will handle each port visit.
About Car Shipping Hawaii: Car Shipping Hawaii is a vehicle transportation broker operating since 2006, arranging door-to-port and port-to-port vehicle shipping between the US mainland and the Hawaiian Islands. Instant online quotes available at carshippinghawaii.com.
