- Choose Between Large Carrier Or Small Private Boat
- Why Ship Using A Large Carrier
- Roll On And Roll Of Shipping

If you’re planning an extended trip to Hawaii or want to move to the islands for the long term, it’s an excellent idea to ship your car before when you move. Having your own vehicle out on the islands makes travel much more convenient and it’s much more affordable than buying something new once you arrive. The trick is finding an affordable shipping method to get your vehicle out to Hawaii.
Choose Between Large Carrier or Small Private Boat
There are generally two ways to send a car from the mainland over to Hawaii. The first is by placing it on a large cargo ship along with many other cars and sending it over. The second is trusting a smaller company with a more limited ship that’s carrying just a few cars. Both options work well if you take care to choose a reliable company, but generally the large ship is much more affordable.
Why Ship Using a Large Carrier
A large carrier ship will position your vehicle in a way that it’s not exposed to the elements and you’ll receive a more discounted rate since many other vehicles are making the journey at the same time. Generally, you’ll need to travel to California to send the vehicle out, or you’ll need to arrange for your vehicle to be transported to a port in California. It’s cheapest to drive the vehicle to the port yourself and then have it shipped from there though.
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Roll on and Roll of Shipping
If you decide to go with a large ship, make sure that you rely on a RORO ship or roll on roll off the ship if possible. With this type of shipping, your car must be drivable and it will be driven onto the ship or pulled onto it using a special winch, and then rolled back off at the end of the trip. This is far more affordable than shipping that crane loads cars into position.
If you’re trying to figure out how to get your vehicle over to Hawaii as cheaply as possible, it’s best to do all the driving that you can and only pay for transport across the ocean itself. Go with a large company that uses a boat that will transport many cars at the same time. You may have to be more patient when dealing with a larger company because they typically only head out once a week to make trips across the ocean. That means you’ll want to schedule your transport date and make sure your car is there in time to be shipped out.
Shipping a car this way is surprisingly affordable and the best method to go with if you want your vehicle on the island with you. Stick with a large roll on and roll off the ship and you’ll enjoy some of the lowest rates available.
When you need reliable Hawaii car shipping services, A-1 Auto Transport is here to help. With more than 20 years of Hawaii transport experience, you can contact us at (888) 230-9116 for a fast quote and answers to your Hawaii car transport questions.