Hawaii is a beautiful island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean in the Western United States. Hawaii is famous for its long beaches and breathtaking natural beauty. In addition, it has a rich and unique culture. Each year thousands of people visit HI to experience the magnificent views of Hawaii. Because of its mesmerizing beauty, this place is known as the paradise on earth. If you are moving to Hawaii, then you may be worried about shipping personal items to Hawaii. Do not worry, we will talk about this and will show you the easiest way to ship.
Many people are moving to Hawaii to explore the unique weather and lifestyle. There are many ways to move your stuff to Hawaii. Among them, moving household items to HI is the most common and cheapest option. This article will guide you to explore the possibilities of moving household items to HI.
Things You Need To Know Before Shipping To Hawaii
Before shipping personal items to Hawaii, you must know certain things. These will help you to ship your items smoothly.
Do Your Research
There are many ways to move your stuff to Hawaii. But not all of them would be suitable for you. Shipping is the cheapest way to move your items to HI. Moreover, you can ship as many items as you want. Some of them are relatively faster than others.
Before shipping personal items to Hawaii, do your research. Browse through the available information to get a clear understanding. Get as many details as you can. There are many shipping options available. You can use a shipping carrier, freight forwarder, or moving container based on your requirements. You can also hire a moving company. There are full-service movers and partial movers available. They will ship your stuff to your desired destination.
Moreover, you need to explore information regarding the cost and time. Doing proper research would make your shipping more manageable and smoother. It will reduce your stress and trouble.
Cost Estimation
Another factor you need to be concerned about is cost estimation. Shipping is the cheapest option to move your items to HI. There are various shipping companies available to ship your stuff. Therefore, getting an appropriate idea about the shipping cost is better. Moreover, it helps to prepare a budget for your shipping. A proper budget would help you limit your expenses. So, ensure adequate cost estimation before shipping your items to HI.
Weather
Hawaii has two seasons, summer and winter. When you prepare to ship your stuff to Hawaii, check the weather beforehand. Weather can affect shipping your stuff. If the climate is hostile, then it would be difficult to ship. So, before booking for shipping, check the local weather forecast. It will help you to avoid climate hazards.
Ways Of Shipping Items To Hawaii
There are many ways available to ship your household stuff to Hawaii. But first, you should go through the ways to find the perfect shipping option for yourself. Here, we will discuss how to ship your stuff to Hawaii. It will give you proper guidance in sending your property to Hawaii.
Shipping Carrier
A shipping carrier is the most common and popular option to ship your stuff. This is one of the cheapest options as well. Most people choose ocean freight or shipping to ship to Hawaii. This method is readily available and accessible. So, people find shipping carriers easier than the other methods.
Before shipping your stuff, make sure to go through the details. Some excellent carriers ship to Hawaii. Choose the best page among them. Then contact the carrier company and discuss all the details. Finally, prepare a budget and fix a date to ship. This is a simple but effective method.
Shipping Options
Another essential benefit of carrier shipping is that it has multiple options available. You can choose either one of them based on your budget and needs. Not all shipping companies offer all the services. Some companies may offer all carrier services, while others may provide specific services. Here are some of the methods of shipping carriers
Door To Door Carrier Service
This is the most convenient carrier service for personal shipping items. In this system, the carrier company is responsible for collecting your stuff from your home. Then they deliver it to the port and send it to the destination port. From there, the moving truck of the carrier company has it to the destination.
This is a stress-free method for you. You can relax, while the carrier company will take all the hassle. Companies like Matson provide this type of service. They provide a container to load your personal belongings. You can load the stuff by yourself or hire a professional mover to pack and load your items. Then the company will deliver the container to your new residence or the recommended address.
Port To Port Carrier Service
This is another option for shipping your items to Hawaii. In this system, you must pack your stuff and deliver it to the port. This may also include loading the items onto the ship. The carrier will be responsible for shipping them only. Therefore, you also need to pick up the items from the port.
Then, you have to bring the items to your final destination. The carrier company won’t do that for you. The shipping carrier will deliver the stuff from the mainland to the Hawaiian port. This option would save money. But there are lot of pressure in this system. There are also time constraints as you need to deliver the stuff to the port. You will take most of the stress in this option.
Door To Port/ Port To Door Carrier Service
Some carrier companies offer Door to port or port-to-door services. This is also a great deal with affordable cost. This carrier service offers to deliver your items from your home to the destined port or from the mainland port to the Hawaiian residence.
The carrier company offers two types of services in this regard. You can choose the option based on your convenience. Here, the shipping company will deliver a container to your house; you can load your belongings in the container. Then the carrier will forward it to the port. From there, they will ship it to the required port. Then, you need to collect the stuff from the port and bring it to your Hawaiian address.
There is another option available in this system. You can pack and deliver your stuff to the port. Then the carrier will ship it to the arrival port and deliver the items to the new address.
These two options are pretty reasonable and convenient compared to the port-to-port option. Therefore, you can choose the most suitable choice for yourself.
Customized Carrier Service
You can customize your shipping process. Not all companies have this option available for their customers. So, the carrier company will pick up the items from your home, or you can drop off your stuff. The carrier company will then ship it to Hawaii. From the port, they will keep them in their warehouse. You can pick up your items from the warehouse based on your convenience. They also have storage facilities. So they can store your stuff and collect it later.
This customized carrier option gives you flexibility. For example, some of the carriers have warehouses in Hawaii.
Some popular shipping companies ship stuff to Hawaii. Some of them are –
- Matson
- Pasha Hawaii
- Sause Bros.
- Young Brothers
All of these companies have A+ ratings by the Better Business Bureau. They have a good reputation as a freight carrier. They have excellent quality services with competitive rates.
Shipping Containers
Another common way of shipping personal items to Hawaii is container transport. You can send your entire household using container transport. Many moving container companies export to Hawaii. Shipping containers are available in different sizes. You can choose the container size based on your needs. It is essential to choose the right container size. First, estimate the space you need to accommodate your household items. There are small containers as well as oversized containers. The most standard shipping container is 20′. But you can get any other size. This way, your container space won’t be wasted.
How Does Container Transport Work?
First, the container company delivers an empty container to your house. Then you can load the empty container taking time. Knowing how to pack a shipping container is essential. Loading a container in the wrong way can damage your stuff. While loading your household items, place the heavy items on the floor. Evenly distribute all the heavy materials to avoid imbalance. Heavy materials such as sofas, mattresses, child car seats, and others must be appropriately placed.
Try to do the maximum utilization of your space. Empty spaces would cause accidents. So, fill up the empty spaces with more miniature household goods. After loading the container, the shipping container company would deliver it to the port. Then they will ship it to your required port. The shipping container company will provide it to the Hawaiian address. You can then unload the container.
One of the benefits of a shipping container is that if you have less than a container load (LCL), you can share your container with others. This will save money. Most shipping container companies have this option available if customers have fewer items to ship. But unfortunately, some people have trust issues in sharing their containers with others.
You can go for a full container load if you have many items to ship. You can hire a whole container for full loads. This way, you can move bulky stuff to Hawaii. So, make sure how much space you need while using a container. It will help you to make a proper decision.
Freight Forwarders
A company that creates a bridge between the customer and the shipping company is called a freight forwarder. Rather than using a Freight carrier company directly, you can use a freight forwarding company. They take responsibility for moving household goods to Hawaii.
Freight forwarders collect your stuff and send it through a company like Matson. So, why not use the carrier company directly instead of freight forwarders?
Using a freight forwarder is preferable for people. A freight forwarder usually ships a massive bulk of items together. They also can ship a car to Hawaii. So, they get discounted rates from shipping companies. Moreover, you can save money by sharing containers with others if you have fewer items to ship to Hawaii. A freight forwarder usually fixes the cost based on the weight, number, and size of your stuff. They measure household goods before confirming.
Some of the standard forwarders who ship to Hawaii are:
Hawaiian Express Service, Inc
Honolulu freight service
American Fast Freight: Hawaiian Ocean Transport
Dependable Hawaiian Express (DHX)
Mail Services ( FedEx, USPS, UPS)
USPS, USP, and FedEx are other options for shipping your personal belongings to Hawaii. Using these postal services could be a good option if you have limited stuff to ship. Mailing your stuff to Hawaii is comparatively faster than other shipping methods. You can send your household items to HI within three days. The United States Postal Service is one of the cheapest shipping options to Hawaii.
On the other hand, UPS is quite expensive. If you want fast delivery of your stuff, mailing is the best solution. Moreover, you can track your shipment online. USPS and UPS are safe ways to ship your important documents to Hawaii. FedEx is the best solution for international moves.
Moving Companies
Moving stuff to Hawaii is stressful and chaotic. First, you need to pack all your items. After that, you have to load and unload everything carefully. Unpacking every is also a tiresome job. Getting professional help makes everything a lot easier. Hiring a moving company is expensive, especially a full-service relocation company. But, you can be stress-free and relaxed during the whole moving process.
While choosing a relocation company, always do your research correctly. Select multiple relocation companies and compare them. Check out the customer reviews. Look into the Better Business Bureau to check negative feedback. Compare the cost of multiple relocation companies. Then select the best moving company.
Different companies provide different services. Some of the companies offer both moving and shipping services. Hiring a professional mover for both moving and shipping would reduce the hassle. On the other hand, you can employ two different moving companies. One for moving and another one for shipping. This will increase the hassle and chaos.
Full-Service Moving Companies
A full-service moving company offers all types of moving services. These services include packing, moving, loading, shipping, unloading, and unpacking. They also provide some other services like cleaning as well. A full-service mover has excellent capacity and equipment. Even though they are expensive, they will make your moving experience more accessible. While most carrier companies offer shipping services, full-service movers will do all the tasks involved in moving.
Partial Moving Companies
A partial moving company offers different types of moving services. For example, you can avail of packing and loading services from them. They provide many services at an affordable cost. You can use a partial moving service to move household goods to Hawaii.
Cost Of Shipping Items To Hawaii
Shipping personal items to Hawaii is quite expensive. The shipping cost depends on several factors. The price may vary depending on your household items’ size, location, and weight. Shipping cost also depends on the shipping company you select. It would cost a few thousand to ship all your stuff to Hawaii. It varies depending on how much stuff you want to ship.
Shipping Option
Shipping is the cheapest option to move your stuff to Hawaii. We have already discussed that different options are available for transferring your stuff to Hawaii. You can choose any of them. Freight carriers have comparatively lower costs than others as they move bulk items. You can also use a moving container. Sharing containers with others will reduce the cost significantly. This is a cost-effective method to move your items. Hiring a full-service mover will be convenient if you have many things to move and a reasonable budget. When you have fewer items to move, using mail is appropriate and cheaper.
Shipping Companies
Shipping cost also depends on the company you select. Different companies have different pricing. The full-service mover will be more costly than getting partial service. Companies like Matson could be expensive. But at the same time, they have excellent customer service and better quality.
Distance
Distance has a significant impact on the cost of shipping. The more space, the more the price. If you are shipping from the east coast of the mainland, the cost will vary significantly from the west coast. So, the distance from your mainland address to your Hawaiian address will influence the cost of personal shipping items to Hawaii.
Weight And Size Of Your Belongings
Heavier stuff would cost more while shipping. The weight and size of your stuff will affect the shipping cost. Most shipping companies charge extra if the weight of your household goods is excessive.
Time Required For Shipping Your Items To Hawaii
The transit time also varies depending on distance, shipping method, or shipping company. The time will depend on whether you are shipping from the west coast of the mainland or east coast or any place in between. It may take a few days or even months to ship your personal belongings to Hawaii. The transit time will be longer if you are shipping your stuff from a distant place. You can also get fast service in case of an emergency. It may cost you a little extra for exceptional service. Among the shipping methods, mailing your belongings is the fastest. USPS, USP, and FedEx have special services for any urgent situation. You can use priority mail in case of an emergency. The cost of priority mail depends on the number of stuff, not weight.
Things You Can’t Ship To Hawaii
There are certain things that you can’t ship to Hawaii. Check out the local authorized websites to know the items you can’t ship.
Among them, certain plants and animals are banned from shipping. Hawaii has strict rules and regulations about shipping or bringing plants and animals. As we know, Hawaii is home to various unique and rare plants. Getting plants from outside may cause harm to the local plants. This may threaten the existence of some rare plants on the island. In addition, alien species can affect the existing plant life in Hawaii. Check the TSA guidelines while planning your move.
Shipping animals are also restricted in Hawaii. You can ship your pet animal, but you must follow the proper procedure. Hawaii has gorgeous wildlife. People bringing pets or animals from outside the island could threaten wildlife. In addition, there are chances of spreading the virus. This could be dangerous for the existing wildlife of Hawaii.
So that’s why Hawaii has a stringent law about bringing plants and animals into the island. Protecting the plant life and wildlife of Hawaii is the priority here. So, you can get certain plants and animals. But you must follow the procedure.
Shipping hazardous materials is also restricted. Shipping hazardous materials, such as chemicals, could be dangerous. When you ship such kinds of items, it may risk other stuff. So, you can’t ship hazardous items.
Conclusion
Hawaii is a beautiful place with long beautiful beaches. It has incredible plants and wildlife that make this island unique. The adventurous island life and the long beach attract people to move here. Shipping personal items to Hawaii is the cheapest and easiest way to move your stuff compared to land transport. You need proper guidelines to ship your stuff. So many options are available, but not all of them would suit you. The best way of shipping will give a smooth moving experience.
FAQ
Q: Can I ship my belongings to Hawaii?
A: If you have time in hand, you can transfer your belongings by ship. This is the easiest way to move your stuff.
Q: How much does it cost to ship belongings to Hawaii?
A: It will cost you around $4800-$9300 to ship your belongings to Hawaii.
Q: What is the cheapest way to ship belongings?
A: Getting help from a mailing service provider is the cheapest way to ship your stuff to Hawaii.