Hawaii Auto Transport Company
2 J's Auto Transport is the top-rated car shipping company in Hawaii, offering the fastest and easiest way to ship your vehicle to or from Hawaii.
Welcome to 2 J’s Auto Transport, one of the leading auto transport companies serving Hawaii. Whether you’re relocating to Oahu, shipping a vehicle from the mainland to Maui, or moving a car back from the Big Island to the continental U.S., we coordinate reliable, affordable, and fully insured auto transportation between Hawaii and the mainland.
Shipping a vehicle to or from Hawaii is fundamentally different from any mainland transport. Hawaii is approximately 2,400 miles from the nearest West Coast port, so vehicles must be transported via ocean freight — there are no roads or bridges connecting the islands to the mainland. The process involves three steps: (1) mainland truck transport from your location to a designated West Coast port, (2) ocean shipping via container or RoRo (Roll-on/Roll-off) vessel to Honolulu, and (3) local delivery on-island, or inter-island barge shipping if your destination is Maui, the Big Island, or Kauai rather than Oahu.
As a federally licensed auto transport broker (MC# 799000, USDOT# 02349019), we coordinate the entire process matching your vehicle with a mainland carrier, booking ocean freight through our port shipping partners, and arranging on-island delivery. You get a single point of contact for the full journey, even though multiple logistics providers are involved.
If you’re shipping your car for the first time to or from Hawaii, here’s a complete guide on how to transport a car to walk you through the process.
How Hawaii Auto Transport Works
Step 1: Mainland Transport to Port
Your vehicle is picked up from your mainland location by a standard car carrier (open or enclosed) and transported to one of the West Coast ports that serve Hawaii:
- Los Angeles / Long Beach, CA highest volume Hawaii shipping port, most frequent sailings
- Oakland, CA Bay Area / NorCal departure point
- Seattle / Tacoma, WA Pacific Northwest departure point
- Portland, OR alternate Northwest port
The mainland truck transport to the port typically takes 1-7 days depending on your origin location. We coordinate this leg just like any mainland auto transport.
Step 2: Ocean Shipping to Hawaii
Once your vehicle reaches the departure port, it’s loaded onto an ocean vessel for the crossing to Honolulu Harbor. There are two primary methods:
RoRo (Roll-on/Roll-off) Your vehicle is driven onto the ship and secured in the cargo hold. This is the most common and affordable method for standard vehicles. The vehicle is exposed to salt air but not to waves or weather. Pricing typically ranges from $1,000–$1,500 for this leg alone.
Container shipping Your vehicle is loaded into a 20′ or 40′ shipping container, which is then loaded onto the vessel. This provides the most protection (fully enclosed, no salt air exposure) and is recommended for luxury, classic, or high-value vehicles. Container shipping costs more ($1,500–$2,500+) but offers maximum security.
Ocean transit from the West Coast to Honolulu takes approximately 5-8 days, depending on the carrier and sailing schedule.
Step 3: On-Island Delivery or Inter-Island Barge
If your destination is on Oahu (Honolulu, Pearl City, Kailua, Kaneohe, Mililani), your vehicle can be picked up from Honolulu Harbor or delivered locally.
If your destination is on Maui, Big Island (Hawaii Island), or Kauai, a separate inter-island barge is required after your vehicle arrives in Honolulu. Young Brothers operates the primary inter-island vehicle barge service. This adds 1-3 days and $300-$600 to the total cost depending on the island.
Total Timeline & Cost Estimates
The complete process (mainland pickup → port → ocean → Hawaii delivery) typically takes:
- From West Coast (CA, WA, OR): 10-14 days total | $1,500–$2,500 (open/RoRo)
- From Midwest (TX, IL, CO): 12-18 days total | $2,000–$3,200
- From East Coast (NY, FL, GA): 14-21 days total | $2,500–$4,000
- Container shipping: Add $500–$1,000 to above ranges
- Inter-island (Maui, Big Island, Kauai): Add 1-3 days + $300–$600
Hawaii-Specific Transport Considerations
Salt air exposure during ocean transit RoRo shipping exposes your vehicle to Pacific salt air for 5-8 days. We recommend washing and waxing your vehicle before shipping to provide a protective layer. For high-value vehicles, container shipping eliminates salt air exposure entirely.
Port processing time Once the vessel arrives in Honolulu, port processing (unloading, customs clearance for international imports, agricultural inspection) typically takes 1-3 business days. Hawaii has strict agricultural inspections — vehicles are checked for pests, soil, and plant material. Make sure your vehicle is clean, especially the undercarriage.
No vehicle safety inspection required before shipping unlike some states, Hawaii does not require a pre-shipping inspection. However, Hawaii DOES require a safety inspection within 30 days of registration for new residents.
Hawaii’s vehicle regulations: New residents must register within 30 days. Hawaii charges a 4% general excise tax on vehicle purchases (not a traditional sales tax). No emissions testing is required. Hawaii uses a county-based registration system you register at your county office (Honolulu County, Maui County, Hawaii County, or Kauai County).
Military PCS traffic Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Schofield Barracks, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, and other military installations generate massive PCS vehicle shipping volume. Military PCS moves to/from Hawaii are among the most common auto transport requests. If you’re military, we have extensive experience with Hawaii PCS logistics and timelines.
Motorcycle and specialty vehicle ocean shipping Motorcycles, ATVs, boats on trailers, and RVs can be shipped to Hawaii via container. RoRo is available for some drivable specialty vehicles. Contact us for specific vehicle type availability.
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Are you looking for auto transport service in Hawaii (HI)? Let's get in touch with 2 J's Auto Transport.
Why Choose Us
We pride ourselves on providing exceptional service and transparency in an industry where both are often hard to come by. As a family-owned company founded in 2012 by John and Joyce, we offer 24/7 customer support, real-time shipment tracking, and transparent pricing with no hidden fees. Hawaii auto transport is more complex than mainland shipping it involves coordinating mainland truck transport, ocean freight, port processing, and potentially inter-island barge service. We manage the entire process as your single point of contact, so you don’t have to coordinate multiple providers yourself. Whether you’re shipping to Oahu, Maui, the Big Island, or Kauai, we handle every leg of the journey.
Worried about scams? Learn how to spot and avoid common auto transport scams before you book.
Broker vs Carrier Explained
2 J’s Auto Transport is a federally licensed auto transport broker (MC# 799000). For Hawaii shipments, we coordinate across multiple logistics providers: a mainland truck carrier for the ground leg, an ocean freight carrier for the Pacific crossing, and local transport or inter-island barge service for on-island delivery. This multi-provider coordination is standard for Hawaii no single carrier operates the entire mainland-to-Hawaii route. Our role as broker is to manage the full chain, keep you updated at every stage, and ensure your vehicle arrives safely.
States Where We Ship Car From Hawaii (HI)
- Car shipping from HI to Alabama
- Car shipping from HI to Alaska
- Car shipping from HI to Arizona
- Car shipping from HI to Arkansas
- Car shipping from HI to California
- Car shipping from HI to Colorado
- Car shipping from HI to Connecticut
- Car shipping from HI to Delaware
- Car shipping from HI to Florida
- Car shipping from HI to Georgia
- Car shipping from HI to Idaho
- Car shipping from HI to Illinois
- Car shipping from HI to Indiana
- Car shipping from HI to Iowa
- Car shipping from HI to Kansas
- Car shipping from HI to Kentucky
- Car shipping from HI to Louisiana
- Car shipping from HI to Maine
- Car shipping from HI to Maryland
- Car shipping from HI to Massachusetts
- Car shipping from HI to Michigan
- Car shipping from HI to Minnesota
- Car shipping from HI to Mississippi
- Car shipping from HI to Missouri
- Car shipping from HI to Montana
- Car shipping from HI to Nebraska
- Car shipping from HI to Nevada
- Car shipping from HI to New Hampshire
- Car shipping from HI to New Jersey
- Car shipping from HI to New Mexico
- Car shipping from HI to New York
- Car shipping from HI to North Carolina
- Car shipping from HI to North Dakota
- Car shipping from HI to Ohio
- Car shipping from HI to Oklahoma
- Car shipping from HI to Oregon
- Car shipping from HI to Pennsylvania
- Car shipping from HI to Rhode Island
- Car shipping from HI to South Carolina
- Car shipping from HI to South Dakota
- Car shipping from HI to Tennessee
- Car shipping from HI to Texas
- Car shipping from HI to Utah
- Car shipping from HI to Vermont
- Car shipping from HI to Virginia
- Car shipping from HI to Washington
- Car shipping from HI to West Virginia
- Car shipping from HI to Wisconsin
- Car shipping from HI to Wyoming
What our other platform clients are saying about us
Devon B
I recently used 2 J’s Auto Transport to transport my car across the country, and I couldn’t be happier with the service! From the very beginning, the team was professional and responsive, answering all my questions and providing a detailed quote with no hidden fees. The pickup was smooth, and they kept me updated throughout the entire process. My car arrived in perfect condition and even ahead of schedule! The driver was friendly and handled everything with care. I highly recommend Joyce and John for anyone looking for reliable and efficient auto transport services. They truly exceeded my expectations!
Johnny
Need my car shipped from New York to California it’s a 2017 Mercedes-Benz I need the enclosed shipping they were very professional always available and deliver the car in five days cross country they gave me a really good price and explained how the business worked would definitely recommend them great job guys.
Mark Edwards
I buy and sell construction equipment all over the US and always go to 2 J’s for long distance transport. They are able to find excellent rates on partial loads within a day or two. The drivers they send are always very professional and helpful. I’ve received quotes from other dispatchers and sometimes drivers offer their services directly, but they can rarely offer compete with 2 J’s pricing or timely service.
Sidharth S
You guys were awesome. Picked up on time, dropped off on time as promised. I was returning customer. I had used their service a year and a half back. They were good at that time and this time too they were fantastic. I was fortunate to have got an enclosed truck for the price of open. Seems they had a truck passing on my dates and they gladly put me there. Thank you, John. Thank you, Joyce. I would highly recommend their services.
Car Shipping Areas / Zip Codes We Serve in HI
2 J’s Auto Transport offers reliable car shipping services in Hawaii, covering cities and wide range of zip codes and nearby areas:
Major Cities of Hawaii
Honolulu
96701, 96706, 96707, 96709, 96712, 96717, 96730, 96731, 96759, 96762, 96786, 96791, 96792, 96795, 96797
Hilo
96720, 96721
Kailua (Kona)
96740, 96745
Kaneohe
96744
Kahului
96732, 96733
Mililani
96789
Other Places of Hawaii
96701, 96703, 96704, 96705, 96706, 96707, 96708, 96709, 96710, 96712, 96713, 96714, 96715, 96716, 96717, 96718, 96719, 96722, 96725, 96726, 96727, 96728, 96729, 96730, 96731, 96734, 96737, 96738, 96739, 96741, 96742, 96743, 96746, 96747, 96748, 96749, 96750, 96751, 96752, 96753, 96754, 96755, 96756, 96757, 96759, 96760, 96761, 96762, 96763, 96764, 96765, 96766, 96767, 96768, 96769, 96770, 96771, 96772, 96773, 96774, 96776, 96777, 96778, 96779, 96780, 96781, 96783, 96784, 96785, 96786, 96788, 96790, 96791, 96792, 96793, 96795, 96796, 96797
No matter the distance, 2 J’s Auto Transport makes shipping your vehicle simple and easy. Whether you need to ship your car from Hawaii to another state or from any state to Hawaii, we handle everything with care and efficiency. With our experienced team and commitment to timely deliveries, you can trust us to get your vehicle where it needs to go, safely and on time.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can you ship a car from mainland USA to Hawaii?
Yes. 2 J’s Auto Transport offers vehicle shipping from the mainland U.S. to Hawaii using specialized ocean transport. We handle all logistics to ensure your car arrives safely and on schedule.
What’s the estimated time to ship a car to Hawaii?
Shipping a car to Hawaii typically takes 7–10 days from pickup on the mainland to delivery in Hawaii. Transit times can vary based on your location, carrier schedule, and port availability.
Do I need to prepare my car for Hawaii transport?
Yes. Before shipping to Hawaii, make sure your vehicle is clean, remove personal items, and leave less than a quarter tank of gas. This helps protect your car and ensures a smooth transport process.
Do you offer auto transport service to all U.S. states and cities?
Yes, we provide auto shipping services across all 50 U.S. states and almost every U.S. city. Pricing may vary based on distance, shipping method, season, weather conditions, pickup and delivery locations, fuel costs, and whether the car is operable or not.
To make things even easier, we’ve also gathered some helpful tips and information that can guide you through the process and help you avoid common issues. Whether you’re shipping for the first time or you’ve done it before, this resource is here to make sure you’re prepared and confident whenever you’re ready to ship your vehicle.