Official website: Hawaii Department of Transportation, Harbors Division. Terminal names and figures on this page come from its own publications, listed under Sources.
Container, flat rack, RoRo and breakbulk to Honolulu
| Method | At this port | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Container | Yes | Sand Island Container Terminal, Piers 51–53, the harbor’s largest container yard; Kapalama Container Terminal is under construction[1]. |
| Flat rack | Yes | The state counts flat racks as container cargo, handled at the container terminals[1]. |
| RoRo | Yes | Matson at Sand Island and Piers 31–33; Matson runs RoRo from Long Beach and Oakland[1][2]. |
| Breakbulk | Yes | Breakbulk is handled at all the cargo piers in the harbor[1]. |
Domestic trade rules
Federal law reserves cargo between U.S. points to ships that are U.S.-built, U.S.-owned and coastwise-endorsed[3], so equipment from the mainland to Hawaii goes on a U.S.-flag carrier, not a foreign one. We truck or rail it to the West Coast load port and book the Hawaii service.
Matson sails from Long Beach twice a week and from the Pacific Northwest weekly[2].
Questions about shipping to Honolulu
Can I ship an excavator to Hawaii by RoRo?
Yes. Matson carries rolling cargo from Long Beach and Oakland to Honolulu, Kahului and Hilo.
Which mainland ports sail to Honolulu?
Matson sails from Long Beach twice a week and from the Pacific Northwest weekly, and runs RoRo from Long Beach and Oakland.
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from the documents below, each checked on the date shown. Carriers and authorities revise them, so we confirm the current figure when we book.
- [1]Hawaii Department of Transportation, Honolulu Harbor 2050 Master Plan, Vol. I, checked October 18, 2026
- [2]Matson, Hawaii service, checked October 18, 2026
- [3]U.S. Maritime Administration, Domestic shipping, checked October 18, 2026
Send us the machine and the destination
Give us the model or the measured dimensions and weight. We come back with the method, the sailing and a price, and the figures behind them.