Honolulu to Guam Truck Dispatch
Freight route connecting Honolulu, HI to Hagatna, GU (3800 miles). Connects Hawaii to Guam as part of broader Pacific island supply chains.
What do truck dispatch rates run from Honolulu to Hagatna?
Honolulu to Guam is a 3,800-mile ocean lane paying about $7,980 - $9,880 per container load, near $2.10 - $2.60 a mile, with typical transit of 10-14 days by ship.
- Distance
- 3800 miles
- Avg. rate / load
- $7,980 - $9,880
- Rate per mile
- $2.10 - $2.60
- Transit time
- Ocean / 10-14 days
- Deadhead risk
- 15-20%
Lane rates reviewed September 2026. These numbers reflect 2026 ocean-freight pricing on this long Pacific defense-and-commerce corridor. See our dispatch fee structure.
Honolulu to Guam
Honolulu to Guam is a 3,800-mile ocean freight lane, typically 10-14 days by container ship, connecting Hawaii to the westernmost edge of US Pacific territory. Matson runs weekly sailings from the West Coast through Hawaii to Guam, Micronesia and Palau, and this route carries a steady mix of commercial and military freight supporting one of the Pacific's most important defense installations.
Origin
Honolulu, HI
Destination
Hagatna, GU
Distance
3800 miles
Transit Time
Ocean / 10-14 days
Average Rate
$7,980 - $9,880
Rate per Mile
$2.10 - $2.60
3,800-mile ocean lane, typically 10-14 days by container ship, the longest of Hawaii's mainland ocean lanes
Matson runs weekly sailings connecting the West Coast, Hawaii, Guam, Micronesia and Palau
Carries a steady mix of commercial and military freight supporting US Pacific defense installations
Honolulu to Guam: route facts a driver should know
This is not a truck route at all, it's a Pacific ocean shipping lane
Guam sits roughly 3,300 miles west of Honolulu across open Pacific. No road or bridge connects them. Matson has provided weekly US-flag container service to Guam since 1996, with Honolulu functioning as a transshipment hub for Guam- and CNMI-bound cargo.
Source: Matson, CNMI and Guam shipping services. Checked 30 Sep 2026.
Guam's population is approaching 170,000
Guam's population was 153,836 at the 2020 Census, with a 2025 estimate near 168,999, supported in part by a growing US Marine Corps presence relocating from Okinawa to Guam's Camp Blaz.
Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census Guam release. Checked 30 Sep 2026.
Common Freight Types
General consumer goods, military-connected freight and building materials fill the containers on this lane.
- Military/Defense Freight
- General Cargo
- Consumer Goods
What makes the Honolulu to Guam lane difficult?
The 10-14 day transit is the longest of any Hawaii ocean lane, requiring significant advance planning
The 10-14 day transit is the longest of any Hawaii ocean lane, requiring significant advance planning.
Jones Act vessel requirements keep rates structurally higher than foreign-flag routes
Jones Act vessel requirements keep rates structurally higher than foreign-flag routes.
Higher fuel surcharges have affected this route alongside broader Pacific shipping
Higher fuel surcharges have affected this route alongside broader Pacific shipping.
What freight moves on the Honolulu to Guam lane?
What moves between Honolulu and Guam, and why this defense-connected corridor matters here.
Primary Commodities
- •Military/Defense Freight
- •General Cargo
- •Consumer Goods
Secondary Commodities
- •Military-connected freight (US Pacific defense installations)
- •Building materials
- •Vehicles
Seasonal Cargo
Peak seasons for this lane:
- •General consumer goods (Q4 holiday surge)
- •Military-connected freight (steady)
- •Building materials (steady)
When is the Honolulu to Guam lane busiest?
Retail restocking and steady military logistics both shape this lane.
Q1 (Jan-Mar): Slow Period?
A modest dip after the holiday restocking surge, cushioned by steady military-connected freight.
Q4 (Oct-Dec): Peak Period?
Consumer-goods container volume climbs from October through December.
Produce Season?
Not directly a factor; this lane runs on consumer goods and military logistics rather than produce.
- •Q4 holiday season restocking
- •Steady military-connected freight year-round
- •Typhoon season awareness (Jun-Nov)
Hurricane Risk?
Western Pacific typhoon season (June-November) can affect Guam-side port operations and sailing schedules.
Seasonal Strategy Summary
This lane runs steady year-round, without a major seasonal swing to plan around.
How do I negotiate the best rate on the Honolulu to Guam lane?
When to book, what pays more, and which loads need long-lead planning.
When to Book
Suggested booking window:
Book container space 2-3 weeks ahead given the long transit and weekly sailing schedule.
What Brokers Pay More
Loads that command more:
Time-critical military-connected freight tends to pay a premium.
When to Avoid
Loads to price carefully:
Be careful committing to a tight delivery date without accounting for this lane's 10-14 day transit and weekly sailing cadence.
Rate Negotiation Tips for Honolulu to Guam
- •
Be direct with customers: there is no truck freight to Guam. Grow Trucking's actual role here is drayage and dispatch coordination in Honolulu, feeding Matson's weekly container service.
- •
Guam-bound cargo typically transships through Honolulu, so coordinate drayage around that connection, not a direct sailing.
- •
Military-linked freight is worth asking about given the ongoing Marine Corps relocation to Guam.
How do I find a backhaul load on the Honolulu to Guam lane?
Guam's role as a key Pacific defense hub makes ongoing freight demand realistic.
Best Return Cities
Where to look for the return load:
- •Hagatna, GU
- •Regional distribution hubs near Guam
Deadhead Risk %
Deadhead risk on this lane: 15-20%
With Matson's weekly sailings connecting Guam to Micronesia and Palau as well, there is real regional freight variety.
Alternative Routes
If the first load falls through, try these:
- •Longer transit reflects the greater Pacific distance. Mostly military/government-driven.
- •Pre-book return freight on load boards before you arrive, so you don't sit empty
Backhaul Optimization Tips
- •
Honolulu's role as a transshipment hub for Guam and CNMI cargo keeps steady local drayage demand.
- •
This is not a route where mainland-style backhaul planning applies, since it's ocean freight with a long transit.
- •
Ask about Guam's growing military construction activity for return-leg freight opportunities tied to Camp Blaz.
What do experienced dispatchers know about the Honolulu to Guam lane?
Three notes before booking this long Pacific defense corridor.
Plan freight timing well in advance given the 10-14 day transit, the longest of Hawaii's ocean lanes.
Confirm documentation requirements before hauling military-connected freight to on-base destinations.
Book container space early, since weekly sailings mean missing one adds a full week to transit.
Honolulu to Guam is not truckable at any point. Set expectations honestly: this is ocean container shipping with Honolulu as a transshipment hub, and Grow Trucking's role is local drayage and coordination only.
Honolulu to Hagatna Lane FAQs
Answers on transit time, Guam's defense role, and typhoon-season planning.
The lane data shows about $7,980 - $9,880 per container load, or $2.10 - $2.60 a mile, across 3,800 miles.
Typically 10-14 days by container ship, the longest of Hawaii's ocean lanes.
It's one of the Pacific's most important US defense installations, and Matson runs weekly sailings connecting it to Hawaii, Micronesia and Palau.
Yes; western Pacific typhoon season (June-November) can affect Guam-side port operations and sailing schedules.
Other Hawaii freight lanes we dispatch
- Honolulu to Kahuku/North Shore Oahu
- Honolulu to San Diego
- Honolulu to Los Angeles
- Honolulu to Oakland
- Honolulu to Seattle
- Honolulu to Maui (Kahului)
Local resources
Dry Van owner-operator, West Coast: +$2,010/week after moving to $2.62/mi on general freight / consumer goods freight.
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