Honolulu to Seattle Truck Dispatch
Freight route from Honolulu, HI to Seattle, WA (2680 miles). A Pacific Northwest mainland gateway option for Hawaii-bound ocean freight.
What do truck dispatch rates run from Honolulu to Seattle?
Honolulu to Seattle is a 2,680-mile ocean lane paying about $6,164 - $7,504 per container load, near $2.30 - $2.80 a mile, with typical transit of 6-8 days by ship.
- Distance
- 2680 miles
- Avg. rate / load
- $6,164 - $7,504
- Rate per mile
- $2.30 - $2.80
- Transit time
- Ocean / 6-8 days
- Deadhead risk
- 15-20%
Lane rates reviewed September 2026. These numbers reflect 2026 ocean-freight pricing on Matson's Pacific Northwest route. See our dispatch fee structure.
Honolulu to Seattle
Honolulu to Seattle is a 2,680-mile ocean freight lane, typically 6-8 days by container ship, connecting Hawaii's main port to Matson's Pacific Northwest gateway. This is the longest and slowest of Hawaii's three mainland West Coast lanes, feeding Seattle's port and distribution network into Hawaii's retail supply chain.
Origin
Honolulu, HI
Destination
Seattle, WA
Distance
2680 miles
Transit Time
Ocean / 6-8 days
Average Rate
$6,164 - $7,504
Rate per Mile
$2.30 - $2.80
2,680-mile ocean lane, typically 6-8 days by container ship
Connects to Matson's Pacific Northwest gateway terminal in Seattle
The longest transit of Hawaii's three mainland West Coast ocean lanes
Honolulu to Seattle: 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.
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 Seattle?
About $3048.60 this week. The lane is 2,680 miles. A truck that gets 6.5 miles per gallon uses about 412 gallons, and diesel is averaging $7.39 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 this region, not the price at each pump. Your mpg and fuel card discounts change it.
- Distance
- 2,680 mi
- Diesel needed
- 412 gal
- Price used
- $7.39/gal
- Fuel cost
- $3048.60
Common Freight Types
General consumer goods, building materials and vehicles fill the containers on this lane.
- General Consumer Goods
- Industrial Supplies
- Agricultural Export (return)
What makes the Honolulu to Seattle 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.
The longer transit time requires more advance planning for time-sensitive freight
The longer transit time requires more advance planning for time-sensitive freight.
Container availability can tighten around Hawaii's peak shipping seasons
Container availability can tighten around Hawaii's peak shipping seasons.
What freight moves on the Honolulu to Seattle lane?
What moves between Honolulu and Seattle, and why Matson's Pacific Northwest terminal matters here.
Primary Commodities
- •General Consumer Goods
- •Industrial Supplies
- •Agricultural Export (return)
Secondary Commodities
- •Drayage-connected freight (Matson Seattle terminal)
- •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 Seattle 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 Seattle lane?
When to book, what pays more, and which loads need extra transit-time planning.
When to Book
Suggested booking window:
Book container space 1-2 weeks ahead during normal periods, earlier during Q4 and back-to-school peaks given the longer transit.
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 delivery date without accounting for this lane's longer 6-8 day transit.
Rate Negotiation Tips for Honolulu to Seattle
- •
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 Seattle lane?
Seattle's Pacific Northwest distribution network makes a return load realistic.
Best Return Cities
Where to look for the return load:
- •Seattle, WA
- •Regional distribution hubs near Seattle
Deadhead Risk %
Deadhead risk on this lane: 15-20%
With Matson running consistent weekly sailings, there is real capacity to plan around.
Alternative Routes
If the first load falls through, try these:
- •Farm export freight on the return leg supports a partial backhaul.
- •Pre-book return freight on load boards before you arrive, so you don't sit empty
Backhaul Optimization Tips
- •
Seattle's port and distribution base gives drayage carriers steady backhaul options on the mainland end.
- •
Honolulu Harbor's role as the hub for 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 Seattle lane?
Three notes before booking this Pacific Northwest gateway lane.
Book container space early during Q4 and back-to-school peak shipping windows, given the longer 6-8 day transit.
Coordinate drayage pickup at the Seattle terminal around the vessel's actual arrival, not the published ETA.
Plan time-sensitive freight around this lane's longer transit compared to LA or Oakland.
This is ocean freight under Jones Act rules, not interstate trucking. Grow Trucking's value here is coordinating reliable drayage on each end of the Matson or Pasha service.
Honolulu to Seattle Lane FAQs
Answers on transit time, Matson's Seattle terminal, and this lane's longer transit.
The lane data shows about $6,164 - $7,504 per container load, or $2.30 - $2.80 a mile, across 2,680 miles.
It's the longest of Hawaii's three mainland West Coast ocean lanes, at 2,680 miles and 6-8 days transit.
Typically 6-8 days by container ship, the longest of Hawaii's mainland routes.
Reasonably, given Seattle's Pacific Northwest distribution network.
Other Hawaii freight lanes we dispatch
- Honolulu to Maui (Kahului)
- Honolulu to Oakland
- Honolulu to Hilo
- Honolulu to Kawaihae
- Honolulu to Nawiliwili
- Honolulu to Molokai
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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