Updated September 23, 2026
Your Hawaii to mainland car shipping cost starts at the port. Ocean rates and truck legs are both from Transportvibe 2026 route data, so you can check it yourself before you sign anything.
$1,500–$2,200port-to-port
Honolulu to Los Angeles or Long Beach · Transportvibe 2026 route data
$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 members named on the title
Your Hawaii to mainland car shipping cost starts at the port. Ocean rates and truck legs are both from Transportvibe 2026 route data, so you can check it yourself before you sign anything.
$1,500–$2,200port-to-port
Honolulu to Los Angeles or Long Beach · Transportvibe 2026 route data
$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 members named on the title
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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? Expect to land toward the top of the range, up to about $3,500 to California.
BUDGET RANGE
$1,500–$2,200
Port-to-port · Honolulu to Los Angeles or Long Beach.” Average range: $1,280–$1,800 → $1,500–$3,500 (Hawaii to California, routes page) · You pick it up
AVERAGE RANGE
$1,280–$1,800
Door-to-door · Delivered to a California address
PREMIUM RANGE
$2,900–$3,975
Ocean leg plus a cross-country truck to the East Coast · Open or enclosed
Route price data
Standard sedan · Open truck leg · Ocean and truck legs from Transportvibe 2026 route data. Truck legs from 2026 route data for Los Angeles to Dallas, San Francisco Bay Area 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
The biggest swing in the price of shipping a car from Hawaii to the mainland is your departure port. Port-to-port from Honolulu to Los Angeles or Long Beach runs about $1,500 to $2,200. Leaving from Hilo, Kahului or Nawiliwili costs more for the same mainland port, and Hawaii to California shipments can reach about $3,500.
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. Ship it on to Dallas or Denver and the truck leg costs about as much as the ocean crossing, $900 to $1,300. Head for the East Coast and it costs more than the ship.
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. As of October 2026, Matson does not accept electric vehicles or plug-in hybrids, a suspension in place since July 2025.electric vehicles or plug-in hybrids, a suspension in place since July 2025. 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). Its rate terms also bar Corvettes and Camaros from shipping from Hawaii to the mainland..
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.
Most cars cross the ocean by roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) 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, open runs $1,400 to $1,775, and enclosed adds roughly 40 to 60%, about $1,950 to $2,850. A daily driver is fine on an open truck. A classic or exotic should go enclosed.
When to ship
SPRING (MAR–MAY)
Base rate
Demand builds toward summer. Book early in the season to stay near the lower end.
SUMMER (JUN–AUG)
+20–30%
Moving season and military PCS orders fill mainland trucks. Matson’s ocean rate stays flat, but the truck leg costs the most. Book at least 3 weeks out.
FALL (SEP–NOV)
Below average
Demand drops after summer and truck rates start to ease. A good window if you can’t wait for winter.
WINTER (DEC–FEB)
Lowest
Fewest people move, so mainland trucks cost least. Storms on I-70 and other mountain routes can add a few days to Denver and other inland deliveries.
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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.
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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.
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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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