(626) 723-0722
Since 1982, Approved has been the freight forwarder of choice for Hawaii. We are Hawaii’s only asset-based freight forwarding company with terminals on all four major Hawaiian islands.
Our twice-weekly sailings, flexible delivery options, and on-island/mainland assets allow us to deliver best-in-class service, while saving you time and money.
Shipping to the neighbor islands? Ask us about our efficient and cost-effective direct freight service to the Big Island, Maui, and Kauai.
End-to-End Hawaii Freight Solutions
When you need to move cargo, goods, or equipment anywhere in Hawaii, look to Approved Freight Forwarders. No one understands the Hawaii shipping lanes better than we do, and we’ll make moving freight to Honolulu — or any other port in Hawaii — easy for you.
We do it all — end – to – end domestic and international freight solutions
across all modes, plus logistics services, including:
Efficient Transit Times for Hawaii-Bound Freight
When you’re shipping freight to Hawaii, it pays to be an expert.
The DeWitt companies have maintained a presence in Hawaii since 1982. With terminals, warehouses, and delivery fleets on Oahu, the Big Island, Maui, and Kauai, we understand how to move freight on each island quickly and efficiently.
Direct Service to All Neighbor Islands
Our expertise allows us to look beyond simple shipping to create new efficiencies. We not only transport to Honolulu, but also specialize in direct service to Kona, Hilo, Kahului (Maui), and Nawiliwili (Kauai). By offering direct service to all major islands we save you money and shave days off transit time. Our clients reduce distribution and warehousing costs with our direct service. They’ve also lowered their inventory carrying costs by getting goods on the shelves faster.
Whether you’re establishing a new line of business or looking for an experienced partner, our specialists will create the right solution for you.
Every Type of Freight to, from, and across Hawaii
No matter what kind of cargo you need to move, Approved has the experience and expertise to get it anywhere
in Hawaii quickly and easily. We’ve worked with customers in all types of industries across the Aloha State. No
cargo is too challenging, too big, too heavy, or too unusual for us to handle.
Office Equipment: We can pack, ship, assemble and install all types of business equipment — even entire office setups.
FF&E Services: We offer planning, shipping, and installation services for renovations, refurbishments, and relocations.
Oversized and Heavy Freight: Oversized equipment, medical devices, and even hazardous freight — we do it all.
Our Asset-Based Approach is Your Advantage
Approved is the only LCL freight forwarder that owns and operates its own terminal and equipment on all four major Hawaiian Islands. What does that mean for you?
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Priority Scheduling: When you work with us, you’ll get the deliveries and the pickups you need—on your schedule, not someone else’s.
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Seamless Service: You’ll get a single point of contact for questions or updates, and the same team will handle
your shipping needs from start to finish, so there’s clear ownership throughout. -
Flexibility and Responsiveness: We have access to twice-weekly sail dates from the West Coast to five major Hawaii ports:
- Oahu
- Kaulau-Kona
- Hilo
- Kahului
- Lihue
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Confidence in How Your Cargo Is Handled: Finally, we’re also proud to have one of the industry’s lowest damage and claim rates. When you trust your cargo to us from start to finish, you can do so with the confidence that it will arrive in excellent condition—and on time.
As a result, we can help businesses like yours respond to your customers’ buying patterns with greater flexibility.
We can also supply your business with smaller, more frequent shipments to keep inventory carrying costs low.
Common Questions About Hawaii Freight
- How does freight get to Hawaii?
Freight makes the final leg of its journey to Hawaii in one of two ways: via ocean freight or air freight. When it comes to Hawaii ocean freight, we offer two solutions:
- Less-Than-Container Load (LCL) – Only Pay for the Space You Need: If you’re shipping a full container and only using 70-80% of the space, you may be wasting space and money.
- Full Container Load (FCL) – If you need cargo in an FCL deconsolidated and/or assembled and installed, we offer those services as well.
We consolidate and coordinate our LCL and FCL shipments throughout the United States to our warehouse in City of Industry, CA. We utilize the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Oakland for all Westbound and Eastbound shipments to and from Hawaii. We utilize the port of San Diego for RORO, over-heavy, and wide shipments.
Air freight bound for Hawaii comes from all over the world. In some cases, it arrives in dedicated cargo jets. Air cargo also arrives on the lower deck of Hawaii-bound passenger jets. For more information on sending air cargo to Hawaii, check out Approved’s air freight services.
- Can you ship LCL to Hawaii?
Yes—a less-than-truckload (LTL) shipment can be transloaded into an ocean freight container for transport to Hawaii via steamship line. Typically, an LTL shipment will travel via truck to our warehouse in City of Industry, where it will be unloaded, then reloaded into an ocean freight container bound for Hawaii.
- Where can you ship in Hawaii?
We have terminals, warehouses, and delivery fleets on all four major islands and both sides of the Big Island. Once your shipment arrives, we’ll pick it up from the port, offload it (if necessary), and deliver it straight to your door on Oahu, the Big Island, Maui, and Kauai. If you’re looking for a seamless, door-to-door Hawaii freight solution, we offer pick-ups on the mainland as well.
- What kind of sailing schedules are available?
We offer two direct sails each week from the West Coast to Honolulu, Kahului (Maui), Kawaihae (Kona, Big Island), Hilo (Big Island), and Nawiliwili (Kauai).
- Wednesday
Cutoff time – Noon the day before sail - Saturday
Cuttoff time – Noon the day before sail
- How long does a cargo ship take from California to Hawaii?
Depending on your final destination, a cargo ship takes 5-9 days to reach Hawaii from California. If you’re headed to:
- Oahu – 5 days from California to Honolulu
- Kona – 7-9 days from California to Kawaihae
- Kona – 7-9 days from California to Kawaihae
- Maui – 7 days from California to Kahului
- Kauai – 7 days from California to Nawiliwili
Freight is unloaded and delivered 24-48 hours after the container is made available at the port.
