Car shipping in Anchorage, Alaska

• Shipping to
• Shipping from
• Cost
• Timing
• Who we help
• Areas served
• Open or enclosed
• Vehicle prep
• After arrival
• FAQ

Route

Truck to Puget Sound, ship to Anchorage

Last leg

None. The ship lands in town

Collecting your vehicle

At the port, or delivered to you

Local line

(564) 213-8184

Anchorage is home to about four in ten Alaskans, and nearly every vehicle that arrives in the state by sea passes through it. Whether you are moving here, leaving, or bringing home a truck you bought in the lower 48, this is the most direct car shipping route Alaska has. Here is how it works, what affects the price and the timing, and how to get your vehicle ready.

Shipping a car to Anchorage

Almost every vehicle that reaches Alaska by sea lands in Anchorage. The Don Young Port of Alaska, on the north edge of downtown, handles about half of all the freight that comes into the state, and the ships that carry vehicles north from Tacoma tie up there. That is why Anchorage is the fastest destination in Alaska: once your vehicle is off the ship, it is already in town.

A shipment to Anchorage has two legs. First, a licensed, insured carrier picks your vehicle up at your address in the lower 48 and trucks it to port on Puget Sound, usually Tacoma. Second, it sails north across the Gulf of Alaska and up Cook Inlet. The sailing itself takes a few days. Most of the time in any Alaska shipment goes to getting the vehicle to the port and waiting for the next sailing with space.

When the ship arrives you have two choices. You can collect the vehicle at the port yourself, which is the simplest option if you are already in town. Or we can have it delivered to your home or workplace anywhere in the Anchorage bowl. You pick when you book, and you are welcome to ask us to price both.

Shipping a car from Anchorage to the lower 48

Leaving Alaska works the same way in reverse. Your vehicle is picked up at your address in Anchorage or dropped at the port, it sails to Washington, and a carrier trucks it from the dock to any address in the lower 48. Seattle and Tacoma are the quickest destinations because the ship lands there. Texas, Florida and the East Coast add a cross-country road leg.

Outbound shipments are common here: military families rotating out of JBER, people heading south for work or retirement, and Alaskans who have sold a truck to a buyer in another state. If you are flying out before the vehicle ships, tell us. We plan the pickup around your flight where we can, so the car is the last thing to leave rather than the first.

What it costs to ship a car to or from Anchorage

There is no single price for an Anchorage shipment, because the road leg and the ocean leg are priced differently. Five things decide your quote:

• Distance to the port in the lower 48. A vehicle starting in Washington has a short drive to the dock. One starting in Georgia crosses the whole country first, and that road leg becomes the largest part of the price.
• Vehicle size. Space on the ship is priced by size, so a full-size pickup or a long SUV costs more than a compact car. Lift kits, oversized tires and roof racks change the measurements, so tell us about them.
• Port pickup or delivery. Collecting the vehicle at the port yourself keeps the Alaska end simple. Delivery to your address adds a short local leg.
• Open or enclosed transport. This applies to the road leg. Open carriers are the standard choice. Enclosed trailers cost more and suit high-value vehicles.
• Timing. A flexible pickup window is easier to match with a carrier and a sailing than a single fixed date.

The quote form on this page gives you one all-in price for the whole route. It is free, it takes about 30 seconds, and nothing is added at delivery.

How long Anchorage car shipping takes

Anchorage is the quickest city in Alaska to ship to, because there is no road leg at the Alaska end. Your total time is the drive to Puget Sound, the wait for the next sailing, and a few days at sea. From the West Coast that can be quick. From the East Coast or the South, the cross-country drive to the port is the longest part of the trip.

Ships leave on set days, so timing the truck to meet a sailing matters more than raw speed. We give you an estimated delivery window when you book and keep you updated as the vehicle moves. If you have a hard date, such as a report date at JBER or the end of a lease, tell us up front and we plan backward from it.

Who ships with us in Anchorage

• Military familiesJoint Base Elmendorf-Richardson sits right beside the port. We plan PCS shipments around report dates, in both directions.
• People relocating for workHealth care, aviation, oil and gas, and the university bring new residents to Anchorage every year.
• Out-of-state buyersFound the right vehicle at a dealer or auction in the lower 48? We collect it there and ship it to you.
• Snowbirds and seasonal workersShip the vehicle ahead of you and fly, in spring and again in fall.

Areas we serve around Anchorage

From our Anchorage location at 738 H Street we arrange pickups and deliveries across the municipality:

• Downtown
• Midtown
• Spenard
• South Anchorage
• Hillside
• East Anchorage
• Muldoon
• JBER
• Eagle River
• Chugiak
• Girdwood

A full-size car carrier needs room to load and unload. If your street is narrow, steep, or lined with snow berms in winter, the driver will arrange to meet you at a nearby parking lot or wide road instead. That is normal, and we will tell you ahead of time if it looks likely.

Heading farther out? The Mat-Su Valley is covered by our Wasilla location, vehicles for the Interior go on to Fairbanks, and vehicles for the Kenai Peninsula are trucked south from Anchorage on the Seward and Sterling highways.

Open or enclosed transport for Anchorage

Most vehicles headed for Anchorage travel to the port on an open carrier, the same kind of truck that delivers new cars to dealerships. It is the affordable choice and it is right for daily drivers. If you are shipping a restored classic, a new luxury vehicle or anything with fresh paint, an enclosed trailer keeps weather and road grit off it on the way to the dock. You choose between the two in the quote form, and you can price both to see the difference.

Getting your vehicle ready for Anchorage

Ship the vehicle empty, with about a quarter tank of fuel, a working key and the alarm switched off. Wash it and take dated photos so its condition is easy to record at pickup and again at delivery. Ocean carriers restrict personal items, and anything left inside is not covered by cargo insurance. The full checklist is on our How it works page.

If the vehicle is arriving between fall and spring, think about tires before it lands. Anchorage roads are icy for much of the winter, and most locals run winter tires. State law opens the studded-tire season on September 16 for most of Alaska north of the 60th parallel, but the Municipality of Anchorage sets its own later start of October 1, so check the current dates before you fit studs. A car coming from a warm state may also need winter-grade washer fluid, a coolant check and a battery test before its first cold morning.

After your vehicle arrives

Alaska gives new residents a short window to register a vehicle. If you are establishing residency or taking a job in the state, the Division of Motor Vehicles requires you to apply for registration within 10 days. Visitors can drive on a current out-of-state registration for up to 60 days, and active-duty military stationed here may keep their home-state registration for as long as it stays valid. Bring your current registration and, if you hold it, the title. Rules change, so confirm the details with the Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles before you go.

Anchorage car shipping FAQ