Last Updated: October 21, 2024
Many people who start a business in Hawaiʻi discover that freight logistics (and trucking!) operate differently in the islands than they do in the continental 48. Hawaiʻi If you’re moving goods around Hawaiʻi, —we’ll show you how (and why!) trucking is a little different in Hawaiʻi. Whether you’re new to Hawaiʻi trucking —or you simply want to deepen your understanding—we’ll walk you through the essentials so you can streamline your Hawaiʻi logistics and save yourself both time and money.
1. Each Island Is Its Own Community
Whether you’re talking about Oʻahu (population: ~989,000), the Big Island (population: ~207,000), Maui (population: ~164,000) or Kauaʻi (population: ~73,000), each island acts like its own little community. (This is even more true on the smaller islands of Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi!)
It can feel like everyone you meet is someone’s auntie, uncle, cousin, brother—you name it. In fact, if you do business in Hawaiʻi long enough, you might start to suspect that everyone really does know everyone else.
If you decide to open a business in the Hawaiian Islands, this is good information to keep in mind. Building relationships is critical, since you’ll get a lot more done if you can leverage your network of trusted contacts.
But what does this “community feel” have to do with trucking? We’ll show you how this comes to play in just a moment.
2. Access in “Urban” Areas Can Be Tricky for Trucking in Hawaiʻi
Each of Hawaiʻi’s islands has its share of busy, commercial areas, where getting freight delivered can be tricky. For example, our trucking team on Oʻahu has to deal with daily deliveries to Waikīkī, the island’s major tourist destination. Our drivers have gotten skilled at navigating pedestrian traffic, rental cars, surfers headed for Waikīkī Beach, other delivery trucks on their own routes, and more.
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In many busy areas, businesses (including hotels!) don’t necessarily have a dock to receive freight. And if they do have one, everyone’s trying to use it. As a result, delivery trucks may have to park several blocks away.
We also encounter challenges at shopping centers and malls. Narrow driveways or limited access can make it difficult to get trucks in and out to make deliveries. This is even true of the Ala Moana Center, the world’s largest open-air shopping center!
Here’s where those relationships come into play. If you’re working with an established Hawaiʻi trucking company, you’ll likely benefit from any contacts that the local drivers have established. It might be a family relationship—or the driver may have just gotten to know the personnel at the destination after years of weekly deliveries.
Either way, when you’ve got a Hawaiʻi trucking company with established relationships on your side, it can mean they have the “in” they need to get freight where it needs to go, even when it gets difficult.
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3. But Even Accessing the Rest of the Island Can Be Challenging for Hawaiʻi Truck Drivers
Hawaiʻi truck deliveries can still be tricky—even outside busy business districts. Our drivers regularly encounter challenges across Oʻahu, Maui, Kauaʻi, and the Big Island, such as:
- Low-hanging wires that may prevent a large truck from accessing an area for delivery.
- Narrow roads, alleyways, and driveways. Deliveries can often come in 45′ containers, and those aren’t always easy to park, especially when it comes to narrow alleyways and streets.
The Solution(s) ?
Many Hawaiʻi trucking companies will ask to do a site visit before committing to delivery. Even if you’ve accepted successful deliveries in the past, it makes sense to encourage these site visits. By allowing your Hawaito put eyes on your unique situation, you’ll reduce the possibility of problems—and added stress—on delivery day. It’s also an excellent opportunity for you to vet the trucking company and get an idea of how they do business.
It’s also in your best interest to find a Hawaiʻi trucking provider with a varied fleet at their disposal. In addition to the capacity to handle container drayage, a trucking company with flatbeds and box trucks with lift gates will be well positioned to access more locations with ease. This has the added benefit of minimizing potential freight damage.
One other note: If you’re working with a trucking company to deliver your , make sure you tell them your preferences about breaking your freight down. In our experience, many customers prefer that we not break down their freight.
However, if your business has very tight access restrictions, your Hawaiʻi trucking provider may want to break it down to simplify delivery. (After all, not every location can accommodate a 20-foot, 40-foot, or 45-foot container!) Talk with them upfront during your site visit so you can find a Hawai’i logistics partner who will work according to your preferences.
4. Traffic Is a Growing Issue for Trucking in Hawaii
Oʻahu’s traffic has become almost legendary, specifically in and around Honolulu. That being said, each island has its own bottlenecks, as any Maui, Big Island, or Kauaʻi resident will tell you.
So how do the Hawaiʻi experts deal with it? They do their best to schedule around it. Many Hawaiʻi trucking companies, for example, will arrange 6:00 am deliveries, both because 1) customers appreciate receiving inventory before business hours and 2) because it means their trucks can get back to the warehouse before the real traffic starts.
If you’re already living on the island where you’re doing business, you probably know these traffic patterns by heart. However, if you’re managing deliveries in Hawaiʻi from the continental U.S., talk to your Hawaiʻi trucking company about the traffic patterns on their island. In some places, a 5:00 pm delivery time just won’t be feasible. However, if you address the issue upfront, your Hawaiʻi delivery provider should coordinate with you to find a time that works for your business.
5. Hawaiʻi Interisland Freight Involves Multiple Modes
In the continental U.S., moving freight around most states is relatively simple. In Hawaiʻi, moving freight from Oʻahu to Maui, Kauaʻi, or the Big Island means coordinating multiple modes of transportation.
Hawaiʻi interisland freight moves either by air or by ocean barge, with trucking acting as the connector. This can add complexity to an already challenging Hawaiʻi supply chain.
Choosing an experienced Hawaiʻi logistics provider will really pay off in this arena:
- Look for a logistics company that offer a one-stop solution, combining interisland barge service/ocean freight, interisland air freight, and local trucking into one, seamless operation. This approach will reduce the risk of miscommunication and logistical bottlenecks.
- A provider with terminals and owned fleets on all four major Hawaiian Islands will also add value. These providers can maintain ownership of your freight project from start to finish, which creates efficiencies and minimizes potential hand-off issues. These types of companies also fully control their own trucking delivery schedules, giving you a better shot at the delivery times you’re looking for.
Freight Tip: If you’re moving freight on the Big Island, look for a provider with terminals on both the Hilo and Kona sides of the island. This will help you maximize your logistics flow, by allowing you to take full advantage of the island’s two harbors: Kawaihae Harbor and Hilo Harbor.
6. Warehousing Can Help You Effectively Manage Your Hawaiʻi Inventory
Doing business in Hawaiʻi means keeping a close eye on your inventory to avoid stockouts. This can be especially crucial during peak retail seasons, like the holidays or back to school, or periods such as Lunar New Year, when Asia-based suppliers close for the holiday.
Hawaiʻi retail businesses have a few options for warehousing:
- Store backstock on site, which may not be viable for all businesses—or may not be the best use of your retail footprint.
- Store backstock in a local warehouse on Oʻahu, Maui, Kauaʻi, or the Big Island. This has the advantage of making your backstock easily accessible. Some larger retailers choose to store items in a central Oʻahu warehouse and distribute to neighbor islands as needed.
- Store backstock on the mainland. This approach can be more cost-effective than Hawaiʻi-based storage. However, it requires proactive inventory management to keep your inventory at optimal levels.
An experienced Hawaiʻi logistics provider can help you decide which approach is right for your business—and your budget. If this same provider offers an all-in-one solution for international, mainland, and interisland freight, they can also help you accurately estimate your timelines to ensure you have the inventory you need at hand, when you need it.
7. Hawaiʻi Has Its Own Set of Natural Hazards to Watch For
Every location has its own potential hazards. It’s useful to recognize the ones most likely to affect Hawaiʻi freight, so you’re prepared for potential impact to your timelines.
- Hurricanes and other severe weather events can delay on-island deliveries, as well as Hawaiʻi ocean freight and air freight Keep your ears out for potential storms, so you can anticipate effects to your freight timelines.
- Volcanic eruptions are largely confined to the Big Island. A recent eruption from Mauna Loa threatened Saddle Road, which could have created significant challenges for Big Island freight distribution. Many Big Island business owners, logistics professionals, and residents breathed a sigh of relief when the flow stopped short of the critical connector road.
- Tsunamis, wildfires, and flash flooding are also possibilities in Hawaiʻi. In some areas, a heavy rain can close roads for a few hours. When the weather gets extreme, keep in touch with your Hawaiʻi trucking company in case rescheduling is needed.
Just One More Reason Why Hawaiʻi Is Like No Place Else
When describing what makes Hawaiʻi unique, you might hear someone talk about the beaches, the varied microclimates, the Hawaiian culture, or even the ono plate lunch they picked up at the gas station. That person might not bring up trucking—unless they work in logistics!
When it comes to trucking in Hawaiʻi, it pays to have an expert on your side who knows the nuances of your delivery location. You’ll save yourself a steep learning curve. You’ll also give yourself the ability to establish a regular route much more quickly, one that ensures your freight arrives on time—and intact.
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Looking for a new trucking provider in Hawai’i ? We can help! Our team has been driving freight around the Hawaiian Islands since 1982. Our drivers know the roads, the terrain, and all the right people to make your deliveries as smooth as possible. We can also create all-in-one solutions that get your freight anywhere it needs to go in Hawaiʻi. To discover more, schedule a complimentary consultation with one of our experts.
