Honolulu to Los Angeles Truck Dispatch
Freight route from Honolulu, HI to Los Angeles, CA (2550 miles). The main mainland ocean freight gateway to Honolulu via Matson or Pasha, under Jones Act vessel rules.
What do truck dispatch rates run from Honolulu to Los Angeles?
Honolulu to Los Angeles is a 2,550-mile ocean lane paying about $5,865 - $7,140 per container load, near $2.30 - $2.80 a mile, with typical transit of 5-7 days by ship.
- Distance
- 2550 miles
- Avg. rate / load
- $5,865 - $7,140
- Rate per mile
- $2.30 - $2.80
- Transit time
- Ocean / 5-7 days
- Deadhead risk
- 10-15%
Lane rates reviewed September 2026. These numbers reflect 2026 ocean-freight pricing under Matson and Pasha's Jones Act duopoly. See our dispatch fee structure.
Honolulu to Los Angeles
Honolulu to Los Angeles is a 2,550-mile ocean freight lane, typically 5-7 days by container ship, connecting Hawaii's main port to the mainland's biggest West Coast gateway. Matson and Pasha operate a duopoly on this Jones Act-protected route, and Matson's revenue per container runs roughly double the global average, reflecting the higher cost of American-built, -owned and -crewed vessels.
Origin
Honolulu, HI
Destination
Los Angeles, CA
Distance
2550 miles
Transit Time
Ocean / 5-7 days
Average Rate
$5,865 - $7,140
Rate per Mile
$2.30 - $2.80
2,550-mile ocean lane, typically 5-7 days by container ship
Matson and Pasha operate a duopoly on mainland-to-Hawaii shipping under Jones Act rules
Matson's revenue per container runs roughly double the global industry average
Honolulu to Los Angeles: route facts a driver should know
Matson and Pasha operate under Jones Act rules on this route
Matson and Pasha Hawaii operate a duopoly on mainland-to-Hawaii ocean shipping under Jones Act rules, which require cargo moved between US ports to travel on US-built, US-flagged, US-crewed vessels. Matson's per-container revenue runs roughly double the global industry average.
Source: Matson, Inc., 2025 full-year results and 2026 outlook. Checked 30 Sep 2026.
Hawaii imports over 80% of its required goods by water
Hawaii imports more than 80% of its required goods through Honolulu Harbor, which handles more than 11 million tons of cargo a year as the hub of the state's 10 commercial harbors.
Source: Wikipedia, Honolulu Harbor. Checked 30 Sep 2026.
Diesel for this lane
How much is the diesel for Honolulu to Los Angeles?
About $3067.06 this week. The lane is 2,550 miles. A truck that gets 6.5 miles per gallon uses about 392 gallons, and diesel is averaging $7.82 a gallon on this lane (week of October 19, 2026). The U.S. average diesel price is up 10 cents this week.
An estimate. It uses EIA's weekly average for the two regions this lane connects, not the price at each pump. Your mpg and fuel card discounts change it.
- Distance
- 2,550 mi
- Diesel needed
- 392 gal
- Price used
- $7.82/gal
- Fuel cost
- $3067.06
Common Freight Types
General consumer goods, building materials and vehicles fill the containers on this lane.
- General Consumer Goods
- Building Materials
- Vehicles
What makes the Honolulu to Los Angeles lane difficult?
Jones Act vessel requirements keep rates structurally higher than foreign-flag routes
Jones Act vessel requirements keep rates structurally higher than foreign-flag routes.
Container availability can tighten around Hawaii's peak shipping seasons
Container availability can tighten around Hawaii's peak shipping seasons.
Drayage timing at both ends depends on vessel schedules, not driver availability
Drayage timing at both ends depends on vessel schedules, not driver availability.
What freight moves on the Honolulu to Los Angeles lane?
What moves between Honolulu and Los Angeles, and why the Jones Act shapes this lane's economics.
Primary Commodities
- •General Consumer Goods
- •Building Materials
- •Vehicles
Secondary Commodities
- •Drayage-connected freight (Matson/Pasha terminals)
- •Building materials
- •Vehicles
Seasonal Cargo
Peak seasons for this lane:
- •General consumer goods (Q4 holiday surge)
- •Building materials (spring/summer construction)
- •Vehicles (steady year-round)
When is the Honolulu to Los Angeles lane busiest?
Retail restocking and construction-materials timing both shape this lane.
Q1 (Jan-Mar): Slow Period?
A modest dip after the holiday restocking surge works through Hawaii's retail inventory.
Q4 (Oct-Dec): Peak Period?
Consumer-goods container volume climbs sharply from October through December.
Produce Season?
Not directly a factor; this lane runs on consumer goods and building materials rather than produce.
- •Q4 holiday season restocking
- •Back-to-school season (Jul-Aug)
- •Spring construction-materials season
Hurricane Risk?
Pacific hurricane season (June-November) can affect Hawaii-side port operations, though this route has no Atlantic/Gulf exposure.
Seasonal Strategy Summary
This lane runs steady year-round, with a modest bump in consumer-goods volume ahead of the Q4 holiday season.
How do I negotiate the best rate on the Honolulu to Los Angeles lane?
When to book, what pays more, and which loads need a drayage-timing plan.
When to Book
Suggested booking window:
Book container space 1-2 weeks ahead during normal periods, earlier during Q4 and back-to-school peaks.
What Brokers Pay More
Loads that command more:
Time-critical drayage connecting to a tight vessel sailing window tends to pay a premium.
When to Avoid
Loads to price carefully:
Be careful committing to a tight drayage appointment without confirming the vessel's actual arrival time.
Rate Negotiation Tips for Honolulu to Los Angeles
- •
This is an ocean lane, not a point-to-point truck route. Grow Trucking's role here is drayage coordination on each end, feeding Matson's or Pasha's container service.
- •
Book drayage around the vessel's actual arrival window, not the published sailing schedule.
- •
This lane's capacity is set by vessel sailings, not driver availability.
How do I find a backhaul load on the Honolulu to Los Angeles lane?
LA's massive drayage and distribution network makes a return load realistic.
Best Return Cities
Where to look for the return load:
- •Los Angeles, CA
- •Regional distribution hubs near Los Angeles
Deadhead Risk %
Deadhead risk on this lane: 10-15%
With Matson and Pasha both running consistent weekly sailings, there is real capacity to plan around.
Alternative Routes
If the first load falls through, try these:
- •Build 7-10 day lead time to avoid urgency-driven air freight premiums.
- •Pre-book return freight on load boards before you arrive, so you don't sit empty
Backhaul Optimization Tips
- •
Los Angeles's port complex gives drayage carriers steady backhaul options on the mainland end.
- •
Honolulu Harbor's role as the hub for 80%-plus of Hawaii's imports keeps steady local drayage demand on the island end.
- •
Plan drayage pickup around vessel ETAs, which can shift with weather or port congestion.
What do experienced dispatchers know about the Honolulu to Los Angeles lane?
Three notes before booking this mainland gateway lane.
Book container space early during Q4 and back-to-school peak shipping windows.
Coordinate drayage pickup at the LA terminal around the vessel's actual arrival, not the published ETA.
Confirm whether your load needs Matson's or Pasha's specific terminal for LA-side pickup.
This is ocean freight under Jones Act rules, not interstate trucking. Grow Trucking's value here is coordinating reliable drayage on each end of Matson's or Pasha's container service.
Honolulu to Los Angeles Lane FAQs
Answers on transit time, the Jones Act, and drayage coordination.
The lane data shows about $5,865 - $7,140 per container load, or $2.30 - $2.80 a mile, across 2,550 miles.
The Jones Act requires American-built, -owned and -crewed vessels for domestic ocean shipping, limiting the field to these two carriers.
Typically 5-7 days by container ship.
Reasonably, given LA's massive drayage and distribution network.
Other Hawaii freight lanes we dispatch
- Honolulu to Oakland
- Honolulu to Kahuku/North Shore Oahu
- Honolulu to Seattle
- Honolulu to Maui (Kahului)
- Honolulu to Hilo
- Honolulu to Kawaihae
Local resources
Also serving the other end of this lane
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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