Containerized Vehicle Shipping — Sealed, Secure Container Transport

For Hawaii car moves, both options are available. See Hawaii car shipping.

• Cars, SUVs and pickups
• Motorcycles, ATVs and jet skis
• Classic and collector vehicles
• Small equipment and machinery
• Household goods and personal belongings with a vehicle
• Commercial freight, retail goods and pallets
• Refrigerated cargo in reefer containers

We quote container moves door to door so you can compare with standard car transport.

In container car shipping, your vehicle is loaded into a steel shipping container — usually a 20-foot or 40-foot container — and secured with straps, wheel chocks or bracing. The container is sealed and loaded onto a ship. At the destination port, it's unloaded, cleared through customs and opened for the car's release.

A 20-foot container usually fits one car. A 40-foot container can fit two to four cars depending on size, which is common for families or businesses shipping several vehicles together.

Containerized freight hauling also covers the truck moves to and from the port. A container chassis truck can deliver an empty container to your location for loading, then haul the loaded container to the port — or you can drive or ship your car to a warehouse near the port where it's loaded. On the destination side, the container is trucked to a warehouse or directly to the receiver.

Shipping container transport by road requires proper chassis, weight limits and port appointments, so plan timing carefully around the vessel's cutoff date.

• The car is high value, classic or exotic
• The car doesn't run (RoRo vessels need cars to drive on and off)
• You're shipping more than one vehicle and can share a container
• You need extra security against theft and weather

• The car runs and is a standard vehicle
• You want the lowest ocean freight cost
• Your route has frequent RoRo sailings

See port-to-port transport and international car shipping.

• Classic and collector cars
• Motorcycles, often several in one container
• Project cars and non-running vehicles
• Parts and accessories shipped with a vehicle, where customs allows
• ATVs, UTVs and small equipment

Rules on personal items inside the container vary by country and shipping line, so check before packing anything extra.

• Original title, or a lienholder authorization if financed
• Bill of sale for recently purchased vehicles
• Passport or ID
• Export filing for international shipments, generally submitted to U.S. Customs at least 72 hours before export
• Destination country import documents

A licensed freight forwarder or customs broker can confirm requirements for your destination.

Containers are also used on domestic ocean routes. For Hawaii and Alaska, both RoRo and container options are available on many routes, and containers can help for non-running or high-value vehicles. See shipping a car to Hawaii or Alaska and routes like California to Hawaii and California to Alaska.

• Container size: A dedicated 20-foot container costs more per car than sharing a 40-foot container.
• Shared vs. exclusive: Consolidated containers with other shippers lower the cost but depend on the forwarder's schedule.
• Route and port pair: Busy trade lanes with frequent sailings are cheaper.
• Inland transport: Trucking to and from the ports at each end.
• Loading and bracing: Professional loading, strapping and blocking.
• Destination charges: Port handling, customs, duties and taxes.
• Marine insurance: Optional coverage based on the car's value.

Ask for a full breakdown so you can compare quotes fairly.

• Clean the car inside and out, including the undercarriage.
• Leave a low fuel level, typically a quarter tank or less.
• Disconnect the battery if the shipping line requires it.
• Remove or declare any personal items according to the line's rules.
• Photograph the car and record the mileage before loading.
• Provide a full set of keys.

Plan for the inland truck leg, loading at the warehouse or your location, the port's cutoff date, the ocean voyage, and customs clearance at the destination. Booking two to four weeks before the vessel's cutoff gives time for export paperwork and loading. Delays usually come from missing documents, so gather them early.