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Frequently Asked Questions:
Is any special documentation required for
shipping to Hawaii?
How do I
get freight from my business to Hawaii?
When will
my shipment arrive?
How are
rates and pricing calculated?
What is
cube?
Are there
packaging requirements?
What does
the term prepaid mean?
What does
the term collect mean?
What is C.O.D?
How can I pay
for my freight?
My
company, or my customer, only wants to pay for part of the freight.
How much
freight can fit in a container?
Can
Aloha Freight handle Hazardous Material shipments?
Does
Aloha have special handling requirements for shipments of glass or slab?
What happens if my freight is delivered damaged or short?
Can I
drop freight off at Aloha and what are the hours?
Can I
track a shipment on-line, from the Aloha website?
How can
I get a copy of Aloha's Bill of Lading for shipment or a Credit Application?
Does
Aloha value their customers' privacy while on the website?
Q: Is any special documentation
required for shipping to Hawaii?
A: Within the United States, most over-water shipping is not very common and is
over very short distances. It is also not with ships the size of those
used to Hawaii. Many people treat shipping to Hawaii the same as they
would any international transport. For this reason, it is often assumed
that special documentation is required. However, Hawaii freight moves just
like any domestic shipping would. The only documents required are the
standard domestic Bill of Lading for non-hazardous shipments.
Q: How do I get freight from my business to Hawaii?
A: Most of the freight to Hawaii is loaded into large containers on the
West Coast. The containers are placed on a ship. Once they arrive in
Hawaii, the containers are then unloaded and the shipments delivered locally by
truck. Aloha can pickup freight directly from your business on the
mainland, take it to our facility near Los Angeles, and provide the delivery
directly to your customer in Hawaii. You may also arrange to have the
shipment delivered directly to Aloha by a truck carrier of your choice, and we
will handle the rest of the shipping. For pickup by Aloha, please call the
closest number to you listed on our Locations
page, or call (888) SHIP ALOHA (744-7256).
Q: When will my shipment arrive?
A: Ships depart Los Angeles on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.
These ships arrive in Honolulu on the following Sunday and Wednesday nights
respectively. Freight is normally delivered the following afternoon or the
day after that. Shipments destined to the neighbor islands is transferred
to another ship or barge and are delivered approximately 9-12 days after
sailing. Click here for a Service Matrix.
Q: How are rates and pricing calculated?
A: Most ocean costs are based on the size of the shipment. This is
unlike overland transportation which uses a sometimes complicated
"classification" system that calculates charges based on the weight of
the shipment. All ocean charges from the port area to delivery in Hawaii
are based on size, or cube, of the shipment. A rate is stated in dollars
or cents per cubic foot. Pricing has several components. Ocean rate is for
the ocean transportation. Wharfage is a fee assessed by the ports for each
container. Terminal Handling Charge is assessed by the vessel operators to
recover port security and container handling costs. Delivery rate is based on the specific destination on the
islands. The State of Hawaii assesses an excise tax on the Hawaii portion
of our charge. There is also a temporary fuel surcharge to help recover the
exceptionally high cost of fuel currently.
Q: What is cube?
A: Cube a term which means cubic foot or feet. The total cube of a
shipment is the total cubic feet, or the volume in feet. Cubic feet are
calculated by multiplying together the three dimensions (length, width and
height) of each piece or shipping unit. If this measurement is in inches,
you must convert this total to feet by dividing by 1728 (the volume in inches of
one cubic foot).
Q: Are there packaging requirements?
A: Aloha is a freight carrier, not a blanket-wrap or household goods
carrier. Shipments will be loaded around other cartons, crates and
palletized shipments. It is our policy to only accept cartoned freight,
properly packaged for ocean transport. Contents should be protected to
prevent damage from normal freight handling practices. Inner packaging
should include, but not be limited to, styrofoam protectors on all edges and
plastic or other material to prevent rubbing or scraping within the carton.
Shippers should consult the National Motor Freight Classification guidelines for
packaging requirements. If shipping glass, see our requirements further
below.
Q: What does the term prepaid mean?
A: Prepaid, contrary to its obvious meaning, does not mean that the
shipment is paid in advance. As it relates to shipping, prepaid simply
means that the originator, or shipper, of the freight is responsible for payment
of all charges.
Q: What does the term collect mean?
A: Collect, similar to the term prepaid described above, is different than
its most obvious meaning. Collect simply means that the receiver, or
consignee, of the freight is responsible for all charges. The term Driver
Collect means that no credit will be extended and that the freight charges must
be paid for at the time of delivery.
Q: What is C.O.D?
A: This is a term meaning Collect On Delivery. A COD is the
invoice or dollar value of the goods which a shipper wants to collect from the
receiver upon delivery. This is usually used if the receiver does not have
credit established with the shipper. The COD amount must be stated in a
specific place and format on the original Bill of Lading before the carrier
receives the goods for transport. Upon delivery and collection of the
funds from the receiver, the funds are transferred to the shipper. There
is a fee charged for this service.
Q. How can I pay for my freight?
A. All payments for freight
charges can be made by check, credit card, cash, or ACH electronic funds
transfer. Companies can apply for a credit account. Our credit application can
be filled out here. Not all
companies may be approved for credit. Checks can be mailed to our
Compton, CA location or given to our driver upon
delivery. Credit card payments can be made on our
website, in person, or by phone. If you do not have credit with Aloha,
payment must be made before delivery. All shipments of personal effects must be
paid for at origin. Credit card payments for invoices more than 15 days old will
have a small convenience fee applied. COD amounts must be paid upon delivery
with cash or certified funds unless another method is approved in advance. COD
checks should be made payable to the shipper.
Q: My company, or my customer, only wants to pay for part of the freight.
A: Many mainland customers will pay for the freight charges to their
customer. However, the additional cost of shipping the distance to Hawaii
is not part of their budget. The shipper will then pay the freight as far
as the port and request the Hawaii company to pay the freight charges beyond the
port. The term "prepaid to port/collect beyond" is very
common. This is the term that they use and may be stated on the Bill of
Lading.
Q: How much freight can fit in a container?
A: Containers vary in size and the volume they will hold. Shipping
to Hawaii allows for 20', 40' and 45' containers. Aloha mainly ships
in 40' and 45' containers. For a list of all the containers and their
volume, please click here.
Q: Can Aloha Freight handle Hazardous Material shipments?
A: Yes, Aloha is trained and licensed to handle and ship Hazardous
Material shipments as defined by the DOT. Aloha is not licensed to handle
some explosives or radioactive cargo. Hazardous shipments by ocean to
Hawaii are domestic shipments and are primarily governed by the regulations in
CFR49. Please note that all flammable (class 3) and combustible shipments
must state the flash point with the proper shipping description on the
paperwork. This is also true if the subsidiary class is flammable.
All hazardous material shipments are subject to an additional handling charge.
Q: Does Aloha have special handling requirements for shipments of
glass or slabs like marble or granite?
A: Aloha does handle shipments of glass and slab stone. Glass and
slab shipments are very
fragile and in large quantities, are heavy, easy to tip, and very dangerous to
handle. When glass or slab is shipped in a standard crate, we will only accept a
maximum of 300 pounds per piece. Above 300#, each crate must have bracing
or be on an A-frame. For crates weighing 300# - 1500#, the
bracing or A-frame must have a base width that is at least 33% of the height.
Between 1500# and 3000#, the base width must be 50% of the height. 3000#
is the most weight on a single crate of glass or slab we will handle. We
have a maximum released value of $.50 per pound for these shipments.
Q: What happens if my freight is delivered damaged or
short?
A: Aloha Freight takes extraordinary precautions to ensure that your
freight is delivered intact with no damages or shortages. Material can get
damaged unfortunately. Often it is due to the overland transportation and
not Aloha's ocean transport. We make notations when we receive freight
from another carrier damaged and we usually take pictures as well. If
freight is delivered to a customer damaged, you have the right to file a claim for
reimbursement. A request for an inspection is required for all damaged
material. The request must be made within 15 days of delivery. A
written claim for damage or shortage must be made within 9 months of
delivery. These requirements have been industry standards for years and
many carriers are actually more restrictive. More detailed information can
be found in our published tariffs. Please contact your local Aloha office
or sales person for an inspection request. Claim forms can be found
here on our website.
Q: Does Aloha value their customers' privacy while on the website?
A: Yes, we do. Aloha does not use
our customer list or any other customer information for any purpose other than
our own internal use. Further, we do not monitor our customers use on-line
except to record the date and time of entry into our secured tracing area.
We use cookies only to assist
the navigation around our shipment tracking pages. No information is taken
from you except the logon name you enter. Although it may be an
inconvenience for you at times, we only save your credit card information if you
request it and we always use encryption any time credit card info is
saved or exchanged with the bank. There is little risk of your personal data getting into the
wrong hands. If you have any questions or comments regarding
our policy, please direct inquiries to the webmaster.
Q: How can I get a copy of Aloha's Bill of Lading for shipment or a
Credit Application?
A: A link to several online forms is on our customer service page.
You may click here to go to the Forms page.
Q: Can I track a shipment on-line, from the Aloha website?
A: Certainly. Basic shipment status information is available on our Customer
Service page. If you require more in-depth, detailed information, you
can view that information by registering with a specific user name and
password. This allows you access to company specific shipment information,
charges, rate quotes, viewing Proof of Delivery documents, etc. Please
contact your sales person or email sales
to be registered.
Q: Can I drop freight off at Aloha and what are the hours?
A: Aloha has a pickup service, but you can also drop freight off at our
dock. Our receiving hours are Monday through Friday, 6am - 4pm.
Please see our locations page for address and phone
numbers.
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FREIGHT
FORWARDERS, INC.