What is Considered Project or Oversize Cargo?

Project or Oversized Cargo is a specialized field of transportation that requires extensive, comprehensive experience handling cargo/freight that does not fit in standard-sized containers.

A few questions to help you determine if your shipment qualifies as Project Cargo:

1. Is your shipment too large to fit inside a traditional shipping container?
2. Are the dimensions wider, longer, or taller than usual shipments?
3. Is the cargo overweight, unusually shaped, or does it require specialized equipment for handling and/or transport?

If you answered yes to any of these details, our Project Cargo team can provide a solution tailored to your specific requirements.

What information does our Project Cargo specialist require to quote?

In addition to information such as the origin, destination, dimensions, weight, and commodity; our Project Cargo team will need to know:

• How the cargo is packed,
• How the freight must be handled,
• If specialty equipment required—this can range from a customary forklift to a heavy-duty forklift or crane; as well as strapping or tarping,
• What the cargo value is,
• If the shipment require additional insurance.

DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express provides an array of solutions for oversize and heavy cargo: from origin to destination, shipping to and from Hawaii or worldwide. We will provide a detailed quote to include all required details of the handling from door-to-door and estimated transit time.

Our Project and Oversize Cargo Service features include, but are not limited to:

• Domestic and International door-to-door execution
• Export and Import Customs Clearance
• Flat Rack
• Open Top
• Low Boy
• Flatbed
• Roll-on/Roll-off (RORO or RO/RO)
• Warehousing and Distribution
• Crating, Shrink Wrap, or Strapping
• Vacuum Packing
• Varying forklift capabilities
• Crane service
• Route planning
• Permit execution
• Port Stevedoring

For bookings or inquiries, please contact our Project Cargo team at projects@dhx.com or 1-800-488-4888, ext. 1208.

What are the many cost factors to consider when deciding to ship to Guam or Hawaii?

Here are the primary cost factors that go into determining commercial shipping costs to Guam.

If you are considering adding Guam as a destination for your commercial shipping and are wondering how much it might cost compared to Hawaii, use the “Cost Factors for Commercial Shipping to Guam” list below when consulting with a commercial freight forwarder. These cost factors are the primary ways your shipping costs are estimated and should be discussed thoroughly.

Cost Factors for Commercial Shipping to Guam

1. If shipping freight by ocean or by air.
2. What the exact origin and destination addresses of the shipment are.
3. How concise a description of the cargo can be  provided.
4. If any Hazardous Materials are being included in the cargo.
5. How precise the weights and physical dimensions of each Shipping Unit are.
• Shipping Units include pallets, boxes, crates, etc.
• Dimensions for each shipping unit must be measured in inches from the longest, widest and tallest points. For e.g., a pallet’s dimensions should be listed as 48”L x 48”W x 50”H.

Like Hawaii, a Bill of Lading (BOL) is required for all shipments. Unlike Hawaii, however, a Commercial Invoice (CI) is also required. The Guam CI must provide the shipment detail and the related cost of the goods in US dollars. Guam Customs uses the CI to determine the amount of payable “Use Tax.” The Guam Use Tax is 4% on all items shipped into Guam that are not intended for resale by a licensed Guam business. This tax is based on the total landed costs of the shipment and must be paid before the shipment is released in Guam.

Considering Shipping to Guam? If you’re serious about adding Guam as a cargo destination for your Full Container Load (FCL) or Less Than Container Load (LCL) shipment(s), please consider giving our highly experienced consultants a call at our international shipping affiliate, DGX.

Our DGX team of professionals—located conveniently in the US mainland, Hawaii or Guam—will review all the cost factors listed above and take as much time as necessary to help you understand how to ship to Guam, as well as how much you can expect it to cost.

We ship to Guam from many US DGX terminals including:

• Los Angeles
• Oakland
• Seattle
• Honolulu
• Maui
• Kona

Read more about our Guam shipping services here.

DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express and DGX-Dependable Global Express specialize in domestic and international ocean and air freight shipping and provide complete supply chain solutions, including ocean freight, air freight, warehousing and distribution, and more.

Call us today toll-free at 1-800-488-4888. We are “The Supply Chain Partner You Can Depend On.”

How Do I Choose Between Shipping Companies to Hawaii?

When looking at commercial shipping companies that service Hawaii, it’s advisable to look for companies with:

1. Operations and facilities on the islands.
   
   A logical choice is a service provider with assets on the islands – trucks, terminals, equipment, etc. Look for shipping companies who can seamlessly handle every detail of your shipment from door to door.
   
   
   A full service operation helps to:
   • Reduce transit times
   • Minimize handling of cargo
   • Maintain the integrity of your shipment
   • Ensure consistent arrival times on the islands


2. A comprehensive understanding of local business.
   
   It’s critical to find a shipper with extensive knowledge of all the logistical challenges unique to doing business locally in Hawaii.
   
   Whether your shipment is delivered to a mall, hotel, military base, residence; or requires a container delivery to a business on a street as narrow such as a residential street, choosing a shipper with the expertise relevant to this market and the diversity in equipment is essential to effective and claims-free handling.
   
   
3. Transparent tracking throughout the shipping process.
   Another important factor is the tracking or “visibility” of your shipment, especially when your shippers can be thousands of miles away.
   
   With a comprehensive tracking ability including automatically-generated email status reports, you know where your freight is during every movement of the shipping process – from pickup to the final delivery stages.

We invite you to try DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express, proudly serving the Hawaiian commercial shipping community for over 43 years. We have our own trucks and shipping terminals on the islands. We provide our customers with tailor-made equitable solutions. And quite importantly, we have a long track record of providing on-time, intact deliveries.

We welcome you to contact us and learn more about DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express. We can help you navigate these waters to get the best value and service for your goods.

What are 2023 Shipping Industry Trends?

In 2023, the transportation industry will continue to experience an accelerated pace of change primarily due to supply chain issues caused by the lengthy pandemic and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. And in spite of many new entrants to the industry with new products and services that are proving to be challenging to previously entrenched incumbents, the upside of the rapid change is also providing many growth opportunities for businesses that are prepared to meet the challenges.

Here are several major trends to look for in 2023 in the commercial shipping industry.

1. Companies Are Fiercely Fighting Ongoing Supply Chain Woes
   For the past 2-3 years, anyone who’s tried to order an item online or find certain goods at retail  knows that supply chains are experiencing significant backlogs. Shipping, manufacturing and port delays have become the norm rather than the exception. Fortunately, most companies do acknowledge it will take time to unravel the challenges associated with shipping delays and the supply chain and are implementing processes to overcome them.


2. Shifting from “Just in Time” to “Just in Case” Inventory
   Businesses need to be prepared for anything and everything, which means having a supply chain that can quickly adapt as needed. Shifting from “just-in-time” to a more stable “just-in-case” model allows brands to respond more timely to supply chain setbacks. Operating with more robust inventory levels will help many companies manage supply chain obstacles and maintain the integrity of fulfillment channels.


3. Timeliness and Transparency Remain Expected and Crucial
   In spite of continuing supply chain disruptions and ever-changing shipping costs, customers have come to expect fast, accurate, and consistent delivery times. They are also demanding shipment transparency – the process of communicating or making available all the visible information to trading partners, customers, stakeholders, and other industry agencies. Failure to meet these unwritten expectations leads to greater “shopping cart” abandonment and risks customers jumping to a competitor brand.
   
   In order to continue enhancing the Customer Experience, it's critical to set realistic expectations. Companies that overpromise and underdeliver risk severely damaging their brand loyalty and customer base. Be sure to operate with transparency and trust around all shipment executions to continue building long-term customer relationships.


4. Forge Strategic Partnerships with Experienced Shippers
   In order to get reliable, expeditious and cost-effective shipping service, it's important to select an experienced shipper who is will a) work with you to overcome supply chain issues, b) help establish the proper level of inventory to combat bumps in the supply chain, and c) set forth a schedule that can be met and allows transparent communication among all shipping parties throughout the shipment process.

At DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express, we have over 40 years of experience supporting customer success with shipping to and from the Hawaiian Islands. We are well established in Hawaii to receive shipments via air and direct ocean service from all West Coast ports to our company-owned assets (trucks, warehousing, distribution, etc.) on the islands of Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island.

Give us a shout! As your partner, we will work closely with your team to tailor the most equitable solution in getting your product from origin to destination seamlessly and expeditiously. Within the US or Canada, we provide air and ocean service, LCL (Less than Container Load) and FCL (Full Container Load) for a simple door-to-door experience.

• To obtain an ocean quote, call (800) 488-4888 ext. 2017, email us or get an online LCL Westbound rate quote here.
• For an air freight quote, call (800) 700-3858 or email us.

What Are Shipping Costs to Hawaii?

Many factors need to be determined to estimate shipping costs to Hawaii. Probably the most important factor is knowing when the shipment needs to arrive in Hawaii.

In addition to timing, the other key factors that determine shipping rates are:

• A clear description of the item(s) to be shipped
• The origin zip code of the pick-up including specific details or special equipment that will be required
• The destination zip code of where the shipment is being delivered including delivery details and equipment requirements
• Precise weight and dimensions of the shipment: length, width, and height

For a Quick Rate Quote on ocean shipping Less-than-Container Load (LCL) shipments to Hawaii, visit here.

You might also have special circumstances that will affect how much it will cost to get your shipment to Hawaii including:

• Hazardous materials
• Substantial, long, or heavy items
• Proper content packaging that ensures safe handling, loading and shipping
• The destination: military base, mall/shopping center, hotel, hospital, construction site, private residence, etc.
• A shipment requiring a forklift or pallet jack for pick up or delivery
• The number of persons required to pick up and deliver the contents

Once all of these factors have been identified, the most realistic cost can be determined by working with your shipping partner as early as possible when requesting a rate quote. Crucial characteristics of a freight forwarder are experience, trustworthiness, track record and cost-efficiency.

At DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express, we have over 40 years of experience helping our customers to ship to/from the Hawaiian Islands. We are well established in Hawaii to receive shipments via direct ocean service from all West Coast ports to our company-owned assets (trucks, warehousing, distribution, etc.) on the islands of Oahu Maui and the Big Island.

If you decide to give us a try, we’ll be the shipping partner who works closely with you to figure out the most cost-effective solution in getting your shipment from origin to destination seamlessly and expeditiously. Within the US or Canada, we’ll help you determine if the shipment requires a full container (Full Container Load/FLC), or if it can be shipped with other cargo (Less than Container Load/LCL) for a worry-free door-to-door experience.

If time is of the essence, we can also provide the option of air freight service from anywhere in the US:

• To obtain an ocean quote, call (800) 488-4888 ext. 2017 or email us here.
• For an air freight quote, call (800) 700-3858 or email us here.

How can shipping companies help eliminate harmful greenhouse gases?

Virtually every industry in every country of the world continues to contribute directly or indirectly to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through the production and consumption of goods and services. The transportation industry is no exception.

According to the EPA, there are three overarching ways the transportation industry can help lower the impact to the climate:

1. Technology. Increase the efficiency of vehicle technology.
   
2. Activity. Change how goods are transported.
   
3. Fuel. Use lower-carbon fuels.

Read the EPA article for in-depth detail on how transportation can accomplish net-zero emissions goals.

At DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express, early on we adopted a myriad of green practices. We firmly believe it’s our responsibility to help ensure future populations have clean air, water, materials and resources.

Our commitment to supporting environmental, social and organizational sustainability is evident across our company. It’s written in our employee manuals, on our walls and our website. It’s witnessed in our offices, warehouses, among all employee practices, and verified by many third-party environmental audit companies. 

Highlights of our ongoing Green investment:

• Solar systems to help power our facilities
• Skylights to replace artificial light and lower-energy lighting across our operations
• Electric car charging stations for employees
• Tight monitoring of logistics to combat empty runs
• Green practices and electronic technology to maximize utilization per container, ultimately reducing the number of trucks on the road
• Rigorous Sustainability training for drivers including how to reduce idling and highway top speeds, improve driving techniques, maintain correct tire pressure, among other practices.

If you’re in the transportation industry, we assume you’ve also taken major sustainability strides to help the world achieve it’s lofty net-zero emission goals. Regardless of where you are on the Going Green spectrum, here’s a detailed list of some of our Green achievements for inspiration:

• We have purchased carbon offsets in sufficient quantity to operate our warehouses in Honolulu, Maui, Guam, Kona, Seattle and Los Angeles (Rancho Dominguez) on a carbon neutral basis for 2022. See our Carbon Neutral Certificates.
  
• Our corporate headquarters, Maui and Guam facilities are totally solar sufficient, drawing no or minimal additional energy from the electric grids.
  
• We have 2% sky lights at various facilities to use more natural lighting.
  
• We meet the California Air Resources Board’s “sparklist” requirements.
  
• We are working to estimate our carbon footprint for all our trucking operations and are taking steps to reduce our carbon emissions. See our GreenWay Miles Certified Carrier Audit.
  
• We are an active partner with Smartway, a U.S. Government EPA partnership with truckers, to improve our use of fuel and oil efficiency, and reduce our emissions. See our SmartWay Certificates.
  
• In our LA headquarters, we have installed 10 charging stations for employees to use for charging electric vehicles.
  
• We have installed lower-energy usage models for lighting, converted our Corporate Headquarters and Honolulu terminal lights to LED and use timers in both terminals to increase the energy effectiveness of our HVAC and lighting systems.
  
• We recycle paper in our LA Corporate headquarters, our San Leandro facility and our Seattle facility. In LA we also separate and recycle wood, plastic, metal and cardboard.
  
• We replaced our networking and computer server infrastructure after 2010, dropping energy consumption by 33% - 38%.
  
• Our Hawaii and Guam computer system is designed to allow our employees and customers to be virtually paperless.
  
• Recently we were named by Inbound Logistics as a Green Supply Chain Partner. As one of the 75 leading companies being profiled, we are regarded for truly “walking the walk” when it comes to commitment to supply chain sustainability and a partner you can turn to when seeking green supply chain management and logistics.

If you’re interested in going with a progressive Green transportation partner, contact one of our experts today. We provide Full Container Load (FCL) and Less Than Container Load (LCL) services from three West Coast ports: Long Beach, Oakland and the Tacoma WA. We also provide international shipping via our sister company, DGX-Dependable Global Express.

If you have questions about moving cargo to or from Hawaii, Alaska, or Guam, contact us today at 800.488.4888. See all of our domestic and international transportation destinations.

Comprehensive glossary of international shipping terms

For your convenience, DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express has compiled an extensive, easy-to-use Glossary of International Shipping Terms. With 300+ commercial transportation terms, our is one of the largest, most comprehensive glossaries available online.

Glossary of International Shipping Terms

Why learn Shipping Industry terminology? Every industry has a special language with terms, acronyms, abbreviations, jargon, etc. that are uniquely theirs. The shipping industry is no exception.

Through our 40+ years in the business we’ve found that if we help customers understand commercial shipping language—including for air freight, ocean freight, trucking, rail, import/export, warehousing & distribution, logistics—the shipping process from Pickup to Delivery goes faster and smoother, saving time and money.

We invite you to visit, bookmark and come back often when there’s shipping industry jargon being slung around! And, if you have suggestions for additional terms, please let us know.

Our International Shipping Terms Glossary is a very easy-to-use, one-page index with an alphabetical search at the top of the page, Expand All/Collapse All functions, and convenient “Back to Top” links after each alphabetic section. 

As an experienced freight forwarder servicing the Hawaiian Islands, DHX-Dependable Hawaiian Express provides both Full Container Load (FCL) and Less Than Container Load (LCL) service through three West Coast ports: two in California, the Ports of Long Beach and Oakland; one in Washington, the Port of Tacoma. See all locations here.

To obtain westbound LCL ocean shipping costs to Hawaii, use our online Quick Quote, call us toll-free at 800.488.4888 ext. 2017, or email us for LCL or FCL ocean shipping costs.

Whatever your shipping needs may require, our dedicated team of highly experienced transportation specialists are available to help you.