Car shipping in Juneau, Alaska

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

Route

Truck to Puget Sound, then north by water

Through Anchorage?

No. Juneau has its own route

Collecting your vehicle

In town, or delivered to you

Local line

(564) 244-3396

Juneau is Alaska’s capital, and it is the only state capital on the mainland that you cannot reach by road. Mountains and the Juneau Icefield close it off on the land side, so cars, trucks and nearly everything else come in by water. That changes how a vehicle shipment works here, and it is worth understanding before you book.

Shipping a car to Juneau

Vehicles headed for Juneau do not go through Anchorage. They travel north from Washington through the Inside Passage, the sheltered channel that runs up the coast of British Columbia and Southeast Alaska.

The shipment has two legs. First, a licensed, insured carrier picks your vehicle up at your address in the lower 48 and trucks it to port in the Puget Sound area. Second, it goes north by water to Juneau. Sailings to Southeast run on their own schedule, separate from the ships that serve Anchorage, so we time the truck to meet the right departure.

When the vehicle lands, you collect it in town or we arrange delivery to your address on the Juneau road system. Either way, one booking covers the road leg and the water leg, and you deal with one company from pickup to arrival.

Shipping a car from Juneau to the lower 48

Leaving Juneau is the same trip in the other direction. Your vehicle goes out by water to Washington, and a carrier trucks it from the dock to any address in the lower 48. Western Washington is the quickest destination. Everything east of there adds a road leg.

People leave Juneau on a calendar more than most places: the legislative session ends, a Coast Guard tour finishes, the summer season closes. If you know your departure date, book well ahead of it and tell us the last day you need the vehicle. We plan the pickup around that.

What it costs to ship a car to or from Juneau

Juneau routes are priced differently from Anchorage ones, because the water leg is a different service. These are the things that shape your quote:

• Distance to the port in the lower 48. A vehicle that starts near Seattle has a short road leg. One that starts in the Midwest or on the East Coast has a long one.
• Vehicle size. Space on the water leg is priced by size. A full-size truck costs more than a small car, and modifications such as lift kits change the measurements.
• Delivery in Juneau. Collecting the vehicle yourself when it lands keeps things simple. Delivery to your address adds a short local leg.
• Open or enclosed transport. This applies to the road leg in the lower 48. Open carriers are standard, and enclosed trailers cost more.
• Timing. A flexible pickup window gives us more departures to choose from.

Start with the quote form on this page, or call the Juneau team with your route. If the vehicle is oversized, or the destination is somewhere else in Southeast, a phone call is the quickest way to an accurate price.

How long Juneau car shipping takes

Two things decide the timing: how far the vehicle has to travel by road to reach Puget Sound, and when the next sailing north leaves. A car that starts in Oregon can be at the dock in a day or two. One that starts in Florida spends most of its trip crossing the country.

Because everything bound for Juneau moves by water, weather in the Gulf and the Inside Passage can shift a schedule now and then, most often in winter. We give you an estimated arrival window when you book and tell you if it changes. If your date is fixed, such as the start of the legislative session in January or a report date, let us know at the beginning so we can plan backward from it.

Who ships with us in Juneau

• State employees and legislative staffThe Legislature convenes in Juneau every January, and people arrive for the session and leave when it ends.
• Coast Guard familiesJuneau is a Coast Guard town. We plan shipments around transfer dates, in and out.
• Seasonal workersThe summer visitor season brings workers north every spring. Many send a vehicle ahead.
• Residents buying out of stateWith no road out, shopping for a vehicle often means buying in Seattle or beyond and shipping it home.

Areas we serve around Juneau

From our Juneau location at 1900 Crest Street we arrange pickups and deliveries across the borough:

• Downtown Juneau
• Douglas
• North Douglas
• West Juneau
• Lemon Creek
• Mendenhall Valley
• Auke Bay
• Thane
• Out the road

Juneau’s road system is short. Glacier Highway runs roughly 40 miles north from downtown before it simply ends. Downtown streets are steep and narrow, and some hillside homes are reached by stairs rather than driveways. If a truck cannot get to your door, the driver meets you at a nearby lot. We will tell you ahead of time if that looks likely.

Shipping to Ketchikan, Sitka, Petersburg, Wrangell, Haines or Skagway? Each has its own routing. Call (564) 244-3396 and we will quote it.

Buying a vehicle outside and shipping it to Juneau

Juneau has a limited number of dealers and no road to the next town, so many residents shop farther afield. Buying in the Seattle area is common because the vehicle is already close to the port, which keeps the road leg short. Buying elsewhere in the lower 48 works just as well and only adds distance to the first leg.

Once you have agreed the sale, give us the seller’s address and a phone number. We arrange the pickup with the dealer or private seller directly, so you do not need to fly down. Ask the seller to send you the title and bill of sale separately rather than leaving them in the vehicle, since you will need them to register it in Alaska.

Open or enclosed transport for Juneau

On a Juneau shipment the road leg is entirely in the lower 48, so this choice depends on where the vehicle starts and what it is worth. Open carriers are the standard and suit most cars and trucks. For a short hop from the Seattle area, open transport is almost always enough. For a classic or high-value vehicle crossing several states to reach the port, an enclosed trailer keeps weather and road debris off it. You can price both in the quote form.

Getting your vehicle ready for Juneau

Send 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 on record before it travels. Items left inside are restricted on the water leg and are not covered by cargo insurance. See the full preparation checklist.

Juneau’s climate is wet rather than bitterly cold. It sits in a coastal rainforest, so a vehicle here deals with rain for much of the year and with snow and ice in winter. Good wiper blades and tires with real tread matter more than a block heater. If you plan to run studded tires, the season in Southeast Alaska is shorter than in the rest of the state: October 1 through April 14.

After your vehicle arrives

New Alaska residents have to move quickly on registration. The Division of Motor Vehicles requires you to apply within 10 days of establishing residency or taking a job in the state. Visitors can drive on a current out-of-state registration for up to 60 days, and active-duty service members stationed in Alaska may keep their home-state registration while it is valid. Bring your current registration and the title if you have it. Rules change, so confirm the details with the Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles before you go.

Juneau car shipping FAQ