Clear Answers to Every Car Shipping Question

No. Vehicles must be completely empty when submitted for ocean transport. No clothing, luggage, electronics, documents, tools, or any personal belongings of any kind.

This is enforced at terminal intake on both the mainland and Hawaii sides, and again at Hawaii's agricultural biosecurity inspection run by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture. Vehicles found with items inside during inspection face delays, secondary inspection fees, and may miss their scheduled sailing.

Missing a sailing means waiting for the next available departure, which can add a full week or more to your timeline. Empty the vehicle before the carrier arrives.

Fuel: Quarter tank maximum. This is a fire safety regulation at all maritime terminals.

Alarm: Disable your alarm system before the carrier arrives. Active alarms delay terminal intake.

Clean: Wash the vehicle thoroughly including wheel wells and undercarriage. Hawaii USDA biosecurity inspectors check for soil, seeds, and organic material — especially on vehicles from rural areas, farms, or anywhere with off-road exposure.

Windshield: No chips or cracks. Inspect before pickup and repair any damage.

Operational: Steering, braking, and rolling must be 100% functional at pickup.

Photo documentation: Photograph the vehicle thoroughly from all angles before the carrier arrives. This protects you in any damage claim.

No. We do not ship electric vehicles or plug-in hybrids on any route, including mainland to Hawaii and Hawaii to mainland. Standard non-plug-in hybrids are accepted.

No. Vehicles must be fully operational at the time of pickup. Steering, braking, and rolling must all function normally. Non-running vehicles are not accepted. This is company policy.

Yes, for the mainland-to-Honolulu ocean crossing. Vehicles travel aboard Matson Roll-on/Roll-off vessels, driven aboard and stored inside the ship for the entire crossing. Fully enclosed, protected from saltwater, weather, and the elements.

Vehicles destined for Maui, Big Island, or Kauai first arrive in Honolulu and then continue to their island via Young Brothers barge service. The Young Brothers barge is open transport, not enclosed. Vehicles on this leg are exposed to the elements during the inter-island portion. We explain this clearly at booking for every neighbor island shipment.

On the overland leg from your mainland address to the port, standard open carrier transport is included in the door-to-port price. Enclosed overland carrier service is available as a premium upgrade for classic cars, luxury vehicles, and high-value automobiles. Call for enclosed carrier pricing.

Door-to-Port: We dispatch a licensed carrier to your mainland address and manage the entire overland haul to the departure port. You do nothing except have the vehicle ready. Deposit: $600 applied toward your total.

Port-to-Port: You drive your vehicle to the Long Beach or Oakland terminal yourself and hand it off at the terminal. Ocean freight only. Deposit: $200 applied toward your total.

Port-to-Port is worth considering if you live close to a departure port or are planning a final road trip through Southern California before flying to Hawaii. Call us and we will walk through which option fits your situation.

Port-to-Port pricing

Port-to-Port to Oahu: $1,580. Port-to-Port to Maui, Big Island, or Kauai: $2,400. Ocean freight only, you deliver to the port.

Vehicles shipping to Oahu (Honolulu) travel the full ocean crossing aboard enclosed Matson Roll-on/Roll-off vessels and arrive at Sand Island Terminal. Ocean transit: 12 to 14 days. Port-to-Port price: $1,580.

Vehicles shipping to Maui, Big Island, or Kauai first arrive in Honolulu, then continue to their island via Young Brothers barge service. The barge leg is open transport. Total ocean transit: 25 to 30 days. Port-to-Port price: $2,400. The additional $820 covers the Young Brothers inter-island segment.

If your destination is a neighbor island, factor in the extra transit time when planning your move-out date and Hawaii arrival.

Yes. Once your vehicle boards the vessel, you can track it through the Matson online tracking tool at matson.com using your booking reference number.

Camilo also provides direct updates throughout the overland phase, so there is no gap in communication between the two legs. You always know where your vehicle is and what the next step is.

Drop-off at the mainland port: Yes. Another person can deliver the vehicle to Long Beach or Oakland on your behalf with a signed authorization letter and the vehicle's registration. Contact Camilo for the authorization letter template.

Pickup at the Hawaii terminal: Yes. Let Camilo know the name of the and time of the and time of the the time of authorized person at booking. They will need a signed authorization letter and government-issued photo ID at the terminal gate.

Total door-to-port time depends on where you are shipping from. Here are honest estimates:

West Coast to Oahu: 1 to 5 days overland depending on city, plus 1 to 2 days port processing, plus 12 to 14 days ocean transit. Total: approximately 14 to 21 days from pickup.

East Coast to Oahu: 7 to 14 days overland depending on location, plus 1 to 2 days port processing, plus 12 to 14 days ocean transit. Total: approximately 20 to 30 days from pickup.

To neighbor islands (Maui, Big Island, Kauai): Add 13 to 16 days to any of the above for the Young Brothers inter-island barge leg.

Peak season

May through August is peak season. Transit estimates hold but booking lead time extends significantly. Book 4 to 6 weeks ahead during summer months. Vessel space fills quickly and carrier availability tightens on most corridors.

Matson vessels sail to Hawaii on a regular weekly schedule. Sailings depart from Long Beach and Oakland. The current Matson sailing schedule is available directly on their website.

Missing a sailing cutoff means waiting for the next available departure — potentially a full week or more. This is why we build your pickup timing around your target sailing date specifically, not a generic pickup window.

If a vehicle misses the Matson sailing cutoff it waits at the port for the next available departure. Depending on where sailings fall on the calendar, this can add a full week or more to your timeline.

For a customer who has already flown to Hawaii, this means unexpected car rental costs, extended hotel stays, and disruptions to work and housing timelines that most people never factor in when they book.

We coordinate pickup timing specifically to prevent this. At booking we ask for your move-out date, your flight arrival, and your Hawaii housing situation so we can time the carrier pickup to hit the right sailing window, not just the next available one.

Standard: At least 2 to 3 weeks before your target pickup date for most mainland locations.

Rural or off-corridor locations: 3 to 4 weeks minimum. Carrier assignment in low-density areas takes longer and rushing it risks missing the sailing window.

Peak season (May through August): 4 to 6 weeks minimum. This is when Hawaiians living on the mainland tend to move home, when military families rotate, and when vessel space genuinely fills ahead of schedule. Booking early and locking your rate with a deposit protects you from both availability and pricing pressure.

Port-to-Port ocean freight: $1,580 to Oahu. $2,400 to Maui, Big Island, or Kauai.

Door-to-Port total: Ocean freight plus overland transport from your mainland address. Overland cost varies significantly by origin city and we never publish a flat rate for it because the range is too wide to be honest. A customer in Las Vegas and a customer in rural Maine have very different overland costs.

Call (808) 378-7540 or submit an online quote request for your exact all-inclusive price. Camilo will give you a single number covering both legs, locked at booking.

The deposit secures your vessel space and locks your all-inclusive rate at the time of booking. Your quoted price does not change after you pay the deposit, regardless of what happens in the carrier market after you book.

Door-to-Port deposit: $600, applied toward your total balance.

Port-to-Port deposit: $200, applied toward your total balance.

The deposit is not an additional fee on top of your quote. It is part of your total. What Camilo quotes you is what you pay.

The deposit is collected at booking by one of our coordinators. The remaining balance is due before vessel loading. Call (808) 378-7540 for current payment method options and to confirm the payment schedule for your specific shipment.

Shipping TO Hawaii: No documents are required at the mainland port. Bring your government-issued photo ID and vehicle registration when picking up at the Hawaii terminal. That is it.

Shipping FROM Hawaii: Documents must be emailed to the port 24 hours before drop-off. Required: Vehicle Title (front and back copies), current Hawaii registration, Hawaii Safety Inspection Certificate (yellow or blue paper), government-issued photo ID (bring original to the gate), and Lien Holder Authorization only if the vehicle is financed.

Critical

Lien Holder Authorization is only required when shipping FROM Hawaii. It is never required when shipping TO Hawaii. Do not let a broker tell you otherwise.

Yes. If you are shipping TO Hawaii, no lienholder paperwork is required at the port. Your financed vehicle ships the same as any other.

If you are shipping FROM Hawaii back to the mainland, you will need a Lien Holder Authorization letter from your finance company before the vehicle can be released from the Hawaii terminal. We provide a sample letter template — contact Camilo at booking.

If you are moving to Hawaii permanently, yes — you will need to register your vehicle in Hawaii within a set timeframe after arrival. If you are in Hawaii temporarily for work or military service, registration requirements vary based on your situation and length of stay.

We recommend checking directly with the Hawaii Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle division for current requirements. Our team can point you to the right resources at booking.

Long Beach, CA: Southern California, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Denver, all Midwest states, all Southern states, and all East Coast states. Height clearance 7 feet, width clearance 7 feet 2 inches.

Oakland, CA: San Francisco, Sacramento, Northern California, Portland, Seattle, Oregon, and Washington. Height and width clearance 76 inches each, applied to the fully assembled vehicle including all roof racks, cargo carriers, and mirrors.

For some states — Idaho North, Nevada Reno — port assignment depends on your exact address and current carrier availability. Camilo confirms your port at booking.

The Oakland terminal enforces a maximum 76-inch height and 76-inch width clearance for all vehicles. This limit applies to the vehicle fully assembled, including any roof racks, cargo carriers, luggage boxes, and mirrors.

If you are routing through Oakland, measure your vehicle fully assembled before booking. A vehicle that exceeds 76 inches in either dimension cannot be processed at Oakland. Call us with your vehicle dimensions if you are unsure before committing.

Oahu: Honolulu / Sand Island Terminal, 1411 Sand Island Pkwy. Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Maui: Kahului Harbor, Pier 1. Monday through Friday 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM.

Big Island: Hilo, 55 Kahanu St. Monday through Friday 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM.

Kauai: Nawiliwili Harbor, Pier 2, Lihue. Monday through Friday 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM.

Camilo will confirm your terminal, notify you when your vehicle reaches Grounded/Available status, and walk you through the pickup process before you go.