When it comes to finding the right auto transporting companies for shipping overseas, chances are it’s tough going. Truth is there aren’t a lot of auto transporting companies that actually ship to Alaska or Hawaii, and even fewer that ship internationally. However, for those auto transporting companies that do transport overseas, the processes are usually the same. In this article, we’ll discuss how those auto transporting companies ship overseas, as well as fill you in on what you should do to prepare for it.

The first type of transport we’ll discuss is shipping to Alaska. Most auto transporting companies utilize the same method: depending on where you are shipping from, those auto transporting companies will find an auto transport carrier to pickup the vehicle from where it currently is and then ship it to the port in Tacoma. All auto transporting companies that ship to Alaska ship out of the port in Tacoma, Washington, but the largest problem is getting the vehicle to the port, which is why every auto transporting company will find a carrier to pick it up at its location and bring it to Tacoma.

It’s pretty much the same thing when it comes to shipping to Hawaii. All auto transporting companies that ship to Hawaii ship out of the port in Long Beach, so, like shipping to Alaska, it’s simply a matter of getting the vehicle to the port. When shipping overseas, there are a few things you need to be aware of before your vehicle is picked up.

First off, you cannot have anything in the vehicle whatsoever. This is an important thing to understand: auto transporting companies that ship within the contiguous 48 states don’t always worry about junk in the trunk, but when shipping to Alaska or Hawaii or overseas, you cannot have anything in the vehicle whatsoever - it’s a violation of federal law and can land not just you but those auto transporting companies into some major hot water.

When auto transporting companies tell you to only have a quarter of a tank of gas in the vehicle when shipping to Alaska or Hawaii, they mean it - too much fuel is never a good thing, as it adds weight to the vehicle. While one vehicle having a full tank isn’t a big deal, five hundred with full tanks of gas add a lot of weight that can end badly for cargo ships and the like.

Always make sure to follow all instructions that your auto transporting companies give you - it’ll make your auto transport so much easier in the long run. Shipping to Alaska and Hawaii isn’t too much different than shipping within the lower 48, but it’s important to know the differences so as not to create problems down the road. Just make sure to listen to your auto transporting companies and you shouldn’t have any problems.