Do shipping costs into Hawaii seem high? Ever wonder why?Moving freight from the mainland into the Hawaiian Islands is a detailed and complex venture and unlike moving ground freight within the continental United States. It doesn't have to be difficult if you understand the cost to ship into Hawaii and use a trusted, experienced and quality freight forwarder like DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express.
DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express has been moving freight into the Hawaiian Islands since 1980, and does handle both LCL (Less than Container Load) and FCL (Full Container Load) ocean and air freight. The cost to ship into Hawaii is driven by several key factors. One would be the distance as well as the majority of freight moves via ocean vessel or the more expensive option of air. Currently, there are only two ocean carriers that move freight from the mainland into Hawaii. Think supply and demand.
Consider the steps and labor cost of picking up freight, handling and reloading into ocean containers, trucking to port, handling at the port to reload onto ocean vessels, then departing with a minimum of four to five days over water in transit to Hawaii, off-loading of containers onto chassis at the port, trucking back to a terminal for unloading of freight. Then reloaded on to box trucks or flatbeds for delivery. Your shipment finally ends up at your customer’s door which may or may not have a dock, forklift or even a pallet jack so additional labor could be required at time of delivery. Sound expensive?
Let's review a few more items that drive the cost of shipping into Hawaii. The amount of fuel required to move these large vessels and cost of fuel. There’s limited land space in Hawaii along with the cost of warehouse buildings and labor in Hawaii. Intra-island movement of freight and all the logistical support of making sure your freight arrives on time. Then, last, but not least, there's the Jones Act which ensures American built and crewed vessels call on Hawaii.
Additional points to consider when evaluating the cost of shipping into Hawaii are the key parts that make up pricing. The Hawaii tariff is expansive and detailed with many items to consider that could impact the cost of the type of commodities you want to ship and the pricing. Where is the freight originating from? Is it picked up locally near the ports or does it originate back east therefore incurring additional cost? What is the cube, weight, and density of your freight along with exact and specific commodities? Yes, it makes a difference in your pricing.
The more data and information shared during pricing discussions with your carrier will vastly improve your ability to obtain better rates so be open to communicating when you're asked numerous questions concerning freight characteristics. You may want and receive options and help in reducing your costs on shipping.
Other items to consider that drive up the cost of shipping to Hawaii are hazardous materials, over length freight, out of gauge, and any special pickup, handling, or delivery requirements.
There are many factors and things to consider when working on the cost to ship to Hawaii so make sure you work with an asset based, well qualified ocean and air provider like DHX - Dependable Hawaiian Express when making your transportation decisions.
We specialize in Hawaii and make shipping easy and cost efficient! Contact us today for a free rate quote.
