Shipping a Vehicle to Alaska, Hawaii, or Puerto Rico

Alaska shipments typically route through the Port of Tacoma or Seattle, where vehicles are loaded onto a Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) vessel or containerized for the ocean leg. From the port of entry — usually Anchorage, Juneau, or Whittier — the vehicle is transported overland to its final destination.

Total transit time from the contiguous U.S. to most Alaska destinations runs two to four weeks, depending on origin, port scheduling, and the final overland leg. Remote destinations — communities not accessible by road — require additional coordination and may involve barge service.

Winter shipping to Alaska requires attention to fuel levels and fluid conditions. Vehicles arriving in winter should have appropriate antifreeze levels and a fuel tank no more than a quarter full — standard practice for any ocean shipment, but especially important given Alaska's temperature extremes.

Hawaii shipments depart from the West Coast — most commonly Los Angeles, Long Beach, or Oakland — and arrive at Honolulu on Oahu, with inter-island transport available to Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island. The ocean crossing takes approximately five to seven days; total door-to-port transit time depends on how far your origin is from the departure port.

Hawaii has strict agricultural inspection requirements. Vehicles must be clean — particularly the undercarriage, wheel wells, and any exterior surfaces that could harbor soil, seeds, or insects — before they will be cleared through the state's Department of Agriculture inspection at the port of entry. A vehicle that fails inspection will be held and cleaned at the owner's expense before release.

Plan for a total transit time of two to three weeks from most mainland origins to final delivery on Oahu. Inter-island delivery adds additional time and cost.

Puerto Rico shipments depart from Jacksonville, Florida — the primary East Coast port for Caribbean vehicle freight — and arrive at the Port of San Juan. The ocean crossing takes approximately three to four days; total transit from origin to delivery in Puerto Rico typically runs two to three weeks.

Because Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, there are no customs duties on vehicles shipped from the mainland. However, vehicles must comply with Puerto Rico's vehicle registration requirements upon arrival, and some older vehicles may be subject to emissions or safety inspections before they can be registered locally.

The Jones Act requires that freight moving between U.S. ports — including Puerto Rico — be carried on U.S.-flagged vessels. This affects carrier availability and pricing on the Puerto Rico route compared to international Caribbean destinations.

Non-contiguous shipments involve two or more legs — overland to the departure port, ocean crossing, and overland from the arrival port to the final destination. Each leg has its own scheduling, and delays at any point compound. Port congestion, vessel scheduling, and weather can all extend transit time beyond the standard estimate.

As a general planning guide: Alaska runs two to four weeks total; Hawaii two to three weeks; Puerto Rico two to three weeks. These are door-to-door estimates from most mainland origins. If your origin is far from the departure port, add transit time accordingly.

Build buffer into any non-contiguous shipment. If you need the vehicle by a specific date — a move, a registration deadline, a sale closing — work backward from that date and book early. Last-minute bookings on non-contiguous routes are difficult to accommodate and often result in missed vessel departures.

Non-contiguous routes cost more than comparable domestic shipments — the ocean freight component, port handling fees, and the coordination overhead of a multi-leg shipment all contribute. Pricing varies significantly by origin, destination, vessel availability, and time of year.

When you request a quote from NTS for a non-contiguous route, we'll walk through the full cost breakdown — overland, ocean freight, port fees, and any destination-specific charges — so there are no surprises at delivery. Contact your transport coordinator with your origin, destination, and vehicle details for an accurate estimate.