Shipping a car from Long Beach and the Gateway Cities
Long Beach has something most cities don't: thousands of trucks moving through it every day. The Port of Long Beach and the adjacent Port of Los Angeles push freight up the 710 and across the 405 around the clock, and the car carriers that serve Southern California stage in the same industrial corridors in Carson, Wilmington and Signal Hill. For you that means short pickup windows, competitive rates and drivers who already know the neighborhoods.
Price your route with the quote tool above, or call the Long Beach desk at (562) 573-8234 to talk to a coordinator. Either way, the number you get is all-in: door-to-door service, carrier cargo insurance and no fuel surcharge added later.
Shipping to Hawaii from the Port of Long Beach
Long Beach is the mainland gateway for vehicles headed to Honolulu, Kahului, Hilo and Nawiliwili. The ocean carriers that run that service load at terminals in the harbor, and they require the vehicle to be delivered to the terminal in a specific condition, on a specific day, with specific paperwork. Big Bear coordinates the overland leg: we pick up your car anywhere on the mainland and deliver it to the terminal gate in Long Beach to match your sailing booking. A few things to know:
- Book the sailing first. The ocean carrier assigns a receiving window. We schedule the overland delivery to land inside it, with a day of cushion.
- Fuel at a quarter tank or less. The terminals enforce this strictly, along with a ban on personal items in the car.
- Paperwork. You will need the title or a lienholder letter, your ID and the booking confirmation. Your coordinator sends a checklist.
- Local pickups. If you already live in Long Beach or the South Bay, we can still handle the short run to the terminal so you don't have to arrange a ride back from the port.
Lanes we run from Long Beach
Because Long Beach sits at the bottom of the 710 and the 605, trucks have quick access to the 10 and the 15 for eastbound runs and the 5 for the coast. Transit times mirror Los Angeles; pickup windows are often shorter. Representative routes:
| Route | Distance | Transit | Open carrier est.* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Beach → Phoenix, AZ | 375 mi | 1–2 days | $450–$650 |
| Long Beach → Las Vegas, NV | 290 mi | 1–2 days | $400–$600 |
| Long Beach → Denver, CO | 1,030 mi | 3–4 days | $800–$1,050 |
| Long Beach → Seattle, WA | 1,150 mi | 3–4 days | $800–$1,100 |
| Long Beach → Dallas, TX | 1,450 mi | 4–5 days | $900–$1,200 |
| Long Beach → Houston, TX | 1,560 mi | 4–5 days | $950–$1,250 |
| Long Beach → Chicago, IL | 2,030 mi | 5–7 days | $1,100–$1,450 |
| Long Beach → Atlanta, GA | 2,180 mi | 5–7 days | $1,150–$1,500 |
| Long Beach → Miami, FL | 2,740 mi | 7–9 days | $1,300–$1,650 |
| Long Beach → New York, NY | 2,800 mi | 7–9 days | $1,300–$1,700 |
*Estimates for a standard running sedan on an open carrier with a flexible pickup window. Enclosed, oversized, inoperable and expedited shipments price differently. Your instant quote reflects live rates for your exact ZIPs.
Neighborhoods and nearby cities
Door-to-door pickup covers all of Long Beach and the surrounding Gateway Cities. Belmont Shore and Naples have narrow streets and limited parking, and Second Street in particular is a bad place to try to stop a car hauler; pickups there are usually arranged on Livingston Drive, along the Marina lots or on Pacific Coast Highway. Bixby Knolls, Lakewood, Cerritos and Los Alamitos have wide residential streets where curbside pickup is routine.
Military shipments from Seal Beach and Los Alamitos
Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach and Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos are both minutes from the office, and the Long Beach desk handles a steady flow of PCS moves. Carriers cannot enter the installations, so pickups are set at an off-base address or a meeting point outside the gate. Tell your coordinator your report date and we will plan the window backward from it. Active duty and veterans get a military rate on every quote.
Cost factors specific to Long Beach
Rates from Long Beach are among the lowest in California on the major lanes, for the simple reason that capacity is dense here. Where the price moves is in the details. Oversized vehicles cost more: a lifted truck or a full-size van takes more than one slot. Enclosed transport runs 40 to 60 percent above open. Non-running vehicles need a winch truck and carry a fee. And timing matters. A flexible one-to-two-week window lets dispatch place you on the next truck with space; a fixed day inside 48 hours means expedited pricing. Summer and the weeks around the Long Beach Grand Prix, when carrier capacity gets tied up with event vehicles, are the busiest periods.
Open and enclosed in a port city
Most Long Beach shipments go open, and for a commuter or family car that is the right call. The city's classic car scene is strong, though, from the show cars on Bixby Knolls' First Fridays to the collectors around Naples and Bluff Park, and those cars travel enclosed. The same goes for anything coming off a ship at the port with a high value, such as imported exotics bound for buyers across the country. Enclosed carriers in the area typically run liftgates and soft tie-downs; ask for one if your car is low, rare or freshly restored.
Who ships from Long Beach
The Long Beach desk sees a broad mix. Relocations lead, with families and professionals moving to Texas, Arizona, Nevada and the Southeast who would rather fly than drive a second car. Students at Cal State Long Beach ship in August and home in May. Dealers and private buyers move vehicles bought at the auction yards in Carson, Gardena and the Inland Empire, and importers move cars that have just cleared the port to buyers across the country. Snowbirds book both legs to Arizona in the fall. And a growing number of customers are shipping an electric vehicle to a family member in another state; those ride on the same carriers, with the battery charged to about half and the car set to transport mode.
Preparing for pickup
Wash the car, keep fuel at a quarter tank, pull out the FasTrak and anything loose, and take photos of each side. If the car is going to the port for Hawaii, empty it completely; the terminal will refuse a car with personal items inside. Have a key ready and confirm the meeting point if you are in Belmont Shore or Naples. From there, the carrier takes over and your coordinator keeps you posted at pickup, in transit and on delivery day.