Three ways to ship a car to Hawaii, with the real numbers.
Every car crosses the Pacific on the same Matson ships. What changes is who books it, who drives it to the port, and what you pay for that. Prices below are as of September 2026; ours come from the same ladder our booking engine uses.
Side by side
| Book Matson directly | National broker | Car Shipping Hawaii | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mainland port to Honolulu, port-to-port | From $1,790 (Matson retail listing) | Usually quoted only as part of a door-to-port total | $1,680 with K’AI · $1,730 by phone |
| Door pickup on the mainland | Not offered. You drive to Long Beach, Oakland or Tacoma. | Yes. Phoenix → Honolulu, 2022 Camry, open: Montway $2,499, Hawaii Car Transport $2,320 (quotes collected 2026-09-09) | Yes, from all 48 states. Arizona from $2,480 with K’AI. California from $2,280. |
| Honolulu to the mainland, port-to-port | Quoted by Matson at booking | Varies; often bundled with delivery | $1,072 with K’AI · $1,122 by phone |
| How you pay | Matson, in full, at booking or drop-off | One bundled price to the broker; the broker pays the carrier | Booking fee to us ($100–$500). Ocean freight to Matson. Trucking to the carrier. Nothing hidden inside a total. |
| Sailing date and port cutoff | You pick from Matson’s schedule and track the cutoff yourself | Usually a transit estimate, not a named sailing | Named before you book, with the cutoff date, from the live Matson schedule |
| Paperwork | Yours | Varies | Handled. Mainland to Hawaii needs no documents at the port; Hawaii to mainland needs five, and we tell you which. |
| Who to talk to | Matson customer service | A commissioned sales agent, then dispatch | K’AI books it in minutes at the lower fee; a person is one message away at the phone fee. |
Third-party figures are what those companies published or quoted on the dates shown and will change; confirm today’s number with them. Our figures are the published ladder: ocean freight $1,580 to Honolulu and $972 out, plus the booking fee.
Book Matson directly if
You live near Long Beach, Oakland or Tacoma, you are happy to drive to the port and back, and you want to manage the sailing and documents yourself. It is a good service and it is the same ship.
Use a national broker if
You already use one for mainland moves and want one account for everything. Ask for the sailing date in writing and ask what happens to the price if the carrier bid comes in higher.
Use Car Shipping Hawaii if
You want the Matson sailing booked for you with the date and cutoff named, mainland pickup from any state, a flat fee instead of a bundled total, and the lowest port-to-port price on the lane. Get the exact number for your route.
Common questions
Is it cheaper to book Matson directly or through Car Shipping Hawaii?
For port-to-port to Honolulu, Car Shipping Hawaii is lower. Matson's own retail listing for mainland-to-Hawaii vehicle shipping starts at $1,790 (September 2026). Booked through us the same sailing is $1,680 all-in with K'AI self-service or $1,730 by phone: $1,580 of ocean freight, which you still pay to Matson, plus our $100 or $150 booking fee.
What does a national broker charge for door-to-port to Hawaii?
On September 2026 quotes we collected for a 2022 Camry from Phoenix to Honolulu, Montway quoted $2,499 and Hawaii Car Transport quoted $2,320 for open transport. Our Arizona door-to-port starts at $2,480 with K'AI, ocean freight and the trucking leg included, with the sailing date named before you book. Prices change; check each company for today's number.
What do I give up by booking Matson directly?
Mainland pickup. Matson does not collect your car at your address; you drive it to Long Beach, Oakland or Tacoma and hand it over. You also book the sailing, handle the paperwork and watch the cutoff yourself. Booking direct is the right choice if you live near a Matson port and want to drive there.
What is the difference between a broker and Car Shipping Hawaii?
Both arrange the shipment; neither owns the ship. The difference is how you pay and what you know before you book. Car Shipping Hawaii charges a flat booking fee and you pay Matson and the trucking carrier directly, so the price on the screen is the price. Most national brokers quote one bundled number and pay the carrier from it. We also name the sailing date and port cutoff before you commit, because Hawaii is the only lane we work.
Do I pay Car Shipping Hawaii the whole amount?
No. You pay us the booking fee ($100 port-to-port or $300 door service with K'AI; $150 or $500 by phone). Ocean freight is paid to Matson when the car is dropped at the port, and the trucking leg is paid to the carrier. The all-in figures on this page add those together so you can compare like with like.
