How Much It Costs To Ship A Car To Hawaii

Planning to relocate or visit Hawaii? Lucky you! As you dream up what’s possible for your new life on the gorgeous and peaceful island, ShipLux is here to help you plan one important detail: getting your vehicle there with you! 

Unlike going elsewhere within the United States, you won’t be able to simply drive your car to the Aloha State. Luckily, we offer several options to make the process stress-free and very simple. 

Want your boat to zip around and feel the ocean breeze in your hair? No problem! Want to reach new speeds as you traverse the island on your motorcycle? No problem! We understand why having your motorcycle or boat would be an incredible bonus in Hawaii and can work with you to ship these important items over, too. 

Keep reading to determine what the shipping process is like with us and how much bringing your vehicle with you for adventures in Hawaii will cost you. 

Options When Considering Shipping to Hawaii 

Before getting too ahead, let’s consider the length of your trip in Hawaii and how much you will be using your car. 

For example, are you going for a two-week vacation to a resort? You simply won’t require a car. However, if you’re going for a couple of months and adventures around the island are a must-do, chances are you’ll want a car, and renting is your best bet — though the tricky thing with rentals is the surge in prices due to shortages. 

If you’re relocating, moving for college or planning on spending a lot of time in Hawaii and you own a car of value, it makes the most sense to ship your car. 

Drive Your Own Car To The Port 

If you are looking to save some money on shipping, one of the cheapest ways is to get your car to a port (normally they’re all in California) where we can arrange for one of our qualified carriers and drivers to meet you and take it off your hands before putting in on what is called a RORO ship, or a roll on, roll off ship. 

This could be a good option if you reside somewhere that is within striking distance of a port, such as San Diego or San Francisco. However, if you live further than a few hours, we do not recommend this, especially if you are traveling across the country from the East coast. 

There is plenty of research that driving your own vehicle long distances is not only not very safe, but it will incur a ton of additional, unnecessary costs for hotels, gas, food, and other prices along the way. Plus, in doing this, you run the risk of adding undo wear and tear to your vehicle and ticking up the car’s miles like crazy. 

All-Inclusive Service With ShipLux 

DIYing it and driving to the port is not always the cheapest or most affordable option. It is certainly not the most convenient.  

When you work with ShipLux, we offer the following features:

• We ship it all: We specialize in shipping a wide range of vehicles, from antique, high-end, classic and everything in between. We are experienced in shipping other items such as motorcycles, heavy equipment, boats, golf carts, RVs and UTVs. 
• Top-notch customer service:  Our online reservation platform and impressive communication system will keep you updated on every step of your shipping process, from booking to drop-off, and every point in between. We are available 24/7!
• Premium and White Glove Service: We pride ourselves in offering Premium Service with attention to the small things, mindfully loading vehicles and taking extreme care with our trained professional team of carriers and drivers. 
• Door-to-Door Service: Regardless of where you live, we offer door-to-door service! This means all you need to do is hand over your keys, and our carrier team will whisk your vehicle away and drop it off right at your new location!
• Transparent pricing: We provide personalized, transparent pricing for everyone. We are always open, and honest and there are never any hidden fees. The price you’re given is the price you pay. 

One thing to be aware of as someone shipping your car to Hawaii, you have to register your vehicle within 30 days of its arrival on the island! 

Let’s get to it: what is the cost? 

How Much Does It Cost To Ship A Car To Hawaii?

All of our prices are available when you obtain a quote. It takes 5 minutes to complete and we promise, it’s super straightforward. You’ll receive your personalized quote quickly and it will include every single cent that is owed. 

We do all the leg work well in advance to make sure that the price we give you is the price you’ll pay – no surprise surcharges or fees, guaranteed.

Here is a useful graphic that compares and contrasts the costs of basic shipping costs to Hawaii from the mainland USA:

As you can see,  these prices will absolutely vary and depend significantly on various factors. 

What Factors Impact the Quote?

The factors that are considered when our team creates your quote are:

1. Method of transportation 

When shipping your car to Hawaii, there is one little thing in the way: the ocean! This means the method of shipping a car to Hawaii is by air or by sea. Shipping in an airplane is, honestly, extortionate, costing at least three to four times as much as shipping by sea. One perk to this is however , it will arrive super speedy.

Due to having to traverse the sea, there are a few shipping options we offer that will impact the cost you pay:  

• Roll-on roll-off (RoRo) shipping: This is when our team will drive your vehicle on and off of the cargo ship. This is a very budget-friendly option. 
• Closed container shipping: Similar to the enclosed trailer we use for land shipping, a closed container shipper is an elite way to go, as it provides the most protection and care for your car. Your vehicle will be placed in a fully closed container meaning 0 elements can impact it on the journey, including any sea creatures! This option will cost you more, however, if you’re shipping a unique, exotic, antique or high-value vehicle, it is absolutely the best way to go. 
• Door-to-door shipping: We love this option because it’s the most convenient and straightforward for our cherished clients! While it will cost you more, our carriers will arrive at your door, collect your keys, and whisk your vehicle away all the way to the port, put it on the ship and bring it to your new location in Hawaii. This is highly recommended if your car is traveling a long way, say, from Boston! 
• Port-to-port shipping: This is the cheaper option, but it does involve you bringing your vehicle to the port and picking it up on the other side, as mentioned above. 

2.  Shipping location

The good news:  we can ship your car to the Hawaiian Island of your choice, including Hilo, Oahu, Kahului, Maui, and Molokai, without a major price change between  them, which makes things easier. 

What will impact the price, however, is the location that your car is starting from. As you can imagine, the longer the car has to be shipped while still in the states, the more expensive it will be. If your starting point is somewhere like San Francisco, it will naturally be less expensive than if the starting point is somewhere in Maine!

When you add land transport to the port, to the ocean voyage, the time it takes to get your car to you will vary. Typically, it takes between 8 to 12 days from a west coast port on the ocean. If you are starting in New York City, it will be around 14 to 19 days and 13 to 18 days from Chicago. We absolutely include the costs of the shipping location in your quote.

3. Type of vehicle 

When we get started on your quote, we need to know the make and model of your car. 

This is because longer and taller cars, such as SUVs and minivans, will be more expensive than smaller cars. The more your car weighs, the more it costs. 

4. Timing and your flexibility 

Flexibility and timing of your shipment plays a role in the  price. If you can, we encourage planning ahead as much as possible, to reduce issues, eliminate delays and allow us to properly plan out the route. If you can be flexible and do not need your car on a specific date, good news, your price will be less.  If, however, you have a specific date on which you require your car, we will do our best to accommodate you at an additional price with our expedited service. 

5. Condition of your vehicle

If your car is a high ticket item it will likely require additional equipment for loading and care, which can tack up the price. Plus, if your vehicle is not non-running or non-operable, we are happy to work with you, but if it requires extra equipment to load and unload, it’ll cost more.

Conclusion

When you need a vehicle transported all the way to Hawaii, consider ShipLux. Our wide range of services is able to meet all your requests and needs. Get in touch with us today to get your quote to start the process of shipping your car with our premium service all the way to Aloha State!