How To Transport A Brand New Car To Hawaii—Understanding Your New Car Shipping Options

It may be a better option for you to buy car on mainland ship to Hawaii rather than buying a car in Hawaii. 

In Hawaii, there are limited cars and you may not get the choice of model, color, or variant that you want. And delivery times can be a nightmare on the islands. The price may be high on the Islands compared to the mainland. 

Also, renting a car in Hawaii can be a very expensive option. So, it is a better option to buy a new car on the mainland and use new car shipping service to transport it to Hawaii.

The cost to ship car to Hawaii can vary from one shipping company to another. It can also vary depending on your location on the mainland. But, it could cost you anywhere between $1500 and $2100 to ship a car to Hawaii. The cost also varies based on factors such as:

• The type of vehicle
• Size of vehicle- Of course the larger the vehicle, the more you will pay for shipping
• Location of where the car is being shipped from to Hawaii
• Where the car will be shipped to in Hawaii
• The timeframe for the shipping

With costs involved, can you drive to Hawaii to make it more affordable? Well, you cannot but you get cheaper shipping options.

For a cheap car shipping option, get quotes from several shipping companies that offer car to go Hawaii services and choose the one that suits your budget. Car Shipping Hawaii is a reliable auto transport company that will make your big move to Hawaii hassle-free and their services won’t break the bank.

Generally, new car shipping to Hawaii can take one to three weeks, depending on the location you are shipping it from. For instance, your car can arrive between 8 and 12 days if you are transporting it from a west coast port like Los Angeles. For other areas in the United States, you can expect to get your car up to three weeks.

Additionally, the period of shipping will depend on the method of shipping used. For instance, port-to-port shipping is much quicker compared to port-to-door, door-to-port, or door-to-door shipping. 

The time for shipping vehicle to Hawaii will also depend on where you are located on the mainland. It also depends on the port you are shipping your car from and the port you are shipping to. Something else to keep in mind is the shipping company you choose. 

Some transporters will transport your car to the port for you. This can be done using open transport or closed transport. 

In open transport, cars are loaded on an open trailer. Thus your car is exposed to the elements and grime as it is transported. This is a cheap car transport option that is ideal if you are on a budget. Nevertheless, it is still a safe and secure way transportation option.

If your car is brand new or is antique, you may want to consider closed transport. This is a great new car shipping option where your car is loaded in a closed transport vehicle. This makes it much safer and secure than open transport. However, this comes at a cost. It is almost 30 to 40 percent higher to transport your vehicle using closed transportation.

Yes, shipping car to Hawaii in a container is possible. This is much safer especially if your car is expensive. However, if you are shipping a lot of your household items in the container as well, putting your car in the container may leave less space for other stuff.

Besides, the cost of shipping your car in a container could be quite high and prohibitive. So, if you are on a tight budget, this may not be a very good option.

Shipping vehicle to Hawaii requires certain documentation. The shippers will be able to tell you what is required. But, these are some of the documents you will need to produce to complete the process of shipping your car to Hawaii:

• Vehicle Title- You need to present this document if you are the owner of the car. However, if the title lists more than one owner, then all the owners need to be present or at least provide a notarized authorization letter allowing the car to be shipped.
• Letter of Authorization- If your car is still being paid off or leased, you will need power of attorney or letter of authorization from the lender to ship the car to Hawaii.
• Vehicle registration documents.
• Valid ID. This should match the name on the title and registration.
• Keys for the car and a remote for the alarm system.

Other than that your car will also need a 

• Bill of Lading and
• Certification of safety inspection

However, these two will be provided by the shipping company and you don’t need to worry much about them.

When it comes to shipping car to Hawaii, you can either drive the car to the port or hire someone to do it for you.

You could drive your car to an appropriate port and hand it over to the shippers. They will then ship it out to Hawaii and you can pick up your car in Hawaii.

However, if the port is too far, the cost of fuel, food, hotel stays, and the return flight may cost you too much. In such a case it may be better and cheaper to hire someone to drive your car to a port.

It may be cheaper and easier to get someone to drive your car to a port so that it can be shipped out. Most shippers provide this service. You would need to check with your shipping company if this is included in the cost of shipping your vehicle to Hawaii.

If no, then you can arrange for someone to drive your vehicle to the port. However, the representative you hire to drive the car to the port on your behalf must be 18 years or older. Also, they need to present the right documentation and have a power of attorney from you that allows them to ship the car. 

Before you hand over your car to the transporter to ship to Hawaii, there are a few things you need to keep in mind.

• The fuel tank should be filled to 1/4th of its capacity. You cannot transport a car with a full tank.
• If your car has an alarm system, it must be turned off. If it is left on, it may go off and drain your battery completely.
• You need to remove any expensive electronic equipment you may have added to your car. No need to remove the electronic equipment that came with the car. Only the additional items that you have put in.
• Do not leave any personal items in the car. Empty it.
• If you are transporting your car in a container, you could put some personal items in the car, but make sure they are tied down so they don’t move around too much. Also, ensure that the person driving your vehicle can sit comfortably on the driver’s seat and have a clear line of sight on all sides.
• It is suggested that you keep an extra set of keys with yourself, just in case.
• Clean the inside of your car.
• Do some basic maintenance. Make sure the tires are full, the battery is charged, and fluids are topped up.
• Make sure you deactivate toll tags and parking passes if any.
  

The shipping companies take all precautions and safety measures to ensure your car is transported safely from the mainland to Hawaii. Nonetheless, it does pay to ensure that your insurance is up to date and paid in case of any mishaps when shipping car to Hawaii.

All vehicles need to be registered in Hawaii. So you will have to get yours registered within 30 days of its arrival in Hawaii.

If you do not reside in Hawaii or won’t stay there for a long time, you can apply for an out-of-state permit.

Now that you know what it entails to ship your car to Hawaii, you are probably wondering-Can you drive to Hawaii? 

The simple answer is that you cannot drive to Hawaii. While this may seem like an affordable option, you will still need to ship your car to the islands. Car transport cheapest way is to ship your car to Hawaii. 

If you are moving to the sunny islands for a long period or permanently, you may consider shipping a car to Hawaii. We hope that this article has given you every information you need when you want to buy car on mainland ship to Hawaii.