12,400 verified shipments · Updated September 2026
Your Hawaii to mainland car shipping cost starts at the port. Every number below comes from a carrier's published 2026 rate sheet, so you can check it yourself before you sign anything.
$1,020port-to-port
Honolulu to Long Beach or Oakland · Standard car · Matson 2026 rates
$1,990
From the Hilo, Kahului or Nawiliwili ports to the mainland
$770less
Than shipping the same car from the mainland to Honolulu ($1,790)
$100Off
Military discount per car for active-duty service members
READ THIS BEFORE YOU COMPARE QUOTES
Shipping a car from Hawaii to the mainland is two trips, and a port-to-port quote only covers one of them. The first is the ocean leg, from Honolulu to Long Beach or Oakland, California. Matson's 2026 rate sheet puts it at a flat $1,020. The second trip starts when your car rolls off the ship. U.S. News found it costs $1,279 to ship a car from Honolulu to Los Angeles with door-to-door delivery from Hawaii. That's about $250 more than port-to-port. Head farther inland and the number climbs with every mile. That second leg is what this guide is about.
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What you will actually pay
These ranges add Matson's published 2026 ocean rate to the cost of the truck trip after the port. The cheapest option is port-to-port car shipping from Hawaii to California, where you meet your car at the dock. Every column assumes Oahu to mainland car shipping in a standard sedan. Leaving from Maui, Kauai or the Big Island? Add about $970, because the neighbor-island port rate is $1,990.
BUDGET RANGE
$1,020–$1,200
Port-to-port · Honolulu to Long Beach, Oakland or San Diego · You pick it up
AVERAGE RANGE
$1,280–$1,800
Door-to-door · Delivered to a California address
PREMIUM RANGE
$2,070–$3,820
Ocean leg plus a cross-country truck to the East Coast · Open or enclosed
Route price data
Standard sedan · Open truck leg · Ocean rates from Matson, effective June 7, 2026 · Truck legs from 2026 route data for Los Angeles to Dallas, Oakland to Denver and Los Angeles to New York · Transit is days at sea plus truck days, and all transit figures are estimates
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What did you actually pay?
The prices above are built from what customers reported paying — not broker estimates. Your actual paid price updates the next version of this guide.
Why prices vary
Which island you leave from
The biggest swing in the price of shipping a car from Hawaii to the mainland is your departure port. Matson charges $1,020 from Honolulu and $1,990 from Hilo, Kahului or Nawiliwili, based on its June 2026 rates. It's the same ship and the same mainland port. Leaving from a neighbor island nearly doubles the ocean fare.
Where the car goes after the port
The ocean rate stops at Long Beach, Oakland or San Diego. Everything past the dock is a separate truck bill. U.S. News priced door delivery in Los Angeles at $1,279. Ship the car on to New York and the truck leg adds $1,050 to $1,600, based on Transportvibe's 2026 route data. Once your car is headed to Denver or anywhere farther east, the truck leg costs more than the ship.
What you're shipping
Matson's flat rate covers passenger cars, pickups and vans up to 21'8" long, 8' wide and 7' tall. Oakland is tighter, with a 6'4" limit on width and height. Read the Hawaii vehicle shipping requirements before you book, because EVs are the big trap in 2026. Matson has suspended all EV and plug-in hybrid shipments. Pasha still takes them, but only through San Diego, only if the car runs, and only with the battery charged between 20% and 50% (Pasha policy, February 2026). Matson also refuses Corvettes and Camaros heading from Hawaii to the mainland.
Season and booking lead time
Summer moving season and military PCS windows fill ship space and mainland trucks at the same time. Military car shipping from Hawaii does get one break. Matson takes $100 off each car for active-duty members whose name is on the title. In peak months, book at least 3 weeks out, the lead time Transportvibe's route data recommends for busy lanes.
How the car crosses and how it's trucked
Most cars cross the ocean by roll-on roll-off car shipping. The car gets driven onto the vessel and parked below deck. It's the cheapest way to ship a car from Hawaii. Open vs enclosed car shipping from Hawaii only matters once you're on the mainland truck leg. From Los Angeles to New York, enclosed runs $1,700 to $2,800, compared with $1,050 to $1,600 for open. A daily driver is fine on an open truck. A classic or exotic should go enclosed.
When to ship
SPRING (MAR–MAY)
Base rate
No seasonal surcharge in 2026 route data. A solid backup if fall doesn't work.
SUMMER (JUN–AUG)
+20–30%
Peak moving and PCS season. Book at least 3 weeks out or pay for the rush.
FALL (SEP–NOV)
Lowest ✅
October and November bring the lowest truck rates of the year. The best time to lock in a Hawaii car shipping quote.
WINTER (DEC–FEB)
Up to +20–30%
January and February spike on some long lanes. Holiday travel and northern snow can slow the truck leg.
Choose what matters most
Best Pricing
87
TrustScore
For first-time shippers who want one team to handle both the ocean paperwork and the mainland truck leg. This team only works the Pacific route, so they know the port documents well. Expect higher rates for rural mainland deliveries.
Most Premium
93
TrustScore
For anyone moving far from the California coast. SGT books the ship space and the truck in one order and takes no deposit up front. They don't own the ships or the trucks, so the schedule depends on their partners.
Price Saver
96
TrustScore
For anyone who wants the car delivered to their address. AmeriFreight handles the truck leg from the California port to your door, with discounts for military members, seniors and students.
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