Auto Transport Routes: Seattle to Anchorage

Believe it or not, Seattle to Anchorage auto transport is pretty popular. However, shipping a vehicle to Anchorage can be quite an undertaking, both for you and your shipping company.

The reason why is simple: shipping a vehicle to Alaska requires shipping it overseas as opposed to overland. The only way to get a car to Alaska overland is through Canada, after all, and moving cars through Canada is expensive work. This is why few auto shipping companies offer it. Those that do often have to charge much more than the total cost of shipping it overseas.

In this post we’ll discuss what you can expect when shipping from Seattle to Anchorage, how it’s done, ways to make your shipment easier, and how American Auto Shipping can help you get your vehicle shipped to Anchorage at a great rate.

How Seattle to Anchorage auto transport works

To start, you need to understand how Seattle to Anchorage auto transport services is taken care of. You can ship a vehicle to Anchorage from anywhere in the United States, but the vehicle will have to be taken to the port in Seattle first. From there, it’ll be put onto a ship and taken to the port in Anchorage.

Like every shipment, it starts with a quote and booking your order with a shipping company. Once that’s taken care of, your shipper will find an overland auto transport carrier to get your vehicle to the port. If you can get your vehicle to the port yourself, that will definitely save you some money.

Part of the expense comes from the fact that you’ll need to pay for the overland portion as well as the overseas portion. Really, it’s like two different shipments in one order – one from your pickup location to the port, and then from the mainland port to the port in Anchorage.

What to expect with shipping to Seattle

What’s great about shipping to Anchorage is the fact that Seattle is a fairly important auto transport hub in the Pacific Northwest. As the largest U.S. city in the region, it sees a fair amount of car shipping traffic, which helps keep prices to Seattle lower. It also helps keep wait times for dispatch and pickup lower as well.

Most vehicles that are shipped are picked up within one to five days from your first available date. This can change depending on the route your vehicle is traveling along. Smaller cities for pickup and delivery, or more rural areas, don’t see as much truck traffic. This can make it more difficult to find a carrier to pick your vehicle up within that one-to-five-day window.

The same is true if you’re shipping to the port in Anchorage. If you’re shipping from a major city, chances are we’ll be able to find someone within that window.

What to expect with shipping to Anchorage

The biggest thing about shipping from the port in Seattle up to Anchorage is going to be the schedule. Ships leave from Seattle almost every day, but they have a lot of freight that needs to go on them. As such, those ships’ manifests are often built well before they actually get to the port, or are compiled quickly once the ship is at the port.

This means that depending on when your vehicle gets to the port in Seattle, you may have to wait for the next available ship. It can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks to get your spot on the ship. This means it’s important to have all that squared away when you book your shipment with your auto transport company.

If your vehicle shows up and has to wait to be loaded, the port should be able to take care of storage for you in the interim. If it has to wait too long, fees may be assessed that you’ll need to pay to the port. However, we do not control the port’s fees, so you’ll need to take care of any storage fees with the port yourself.

It usually takes 7-14 days to get a vehicle from Seattle up to Anchorage, depending on a number of different factors. You can speak to a representative to learn more about it.

Things to know when shipping overseas

There are a few things you need to be aware of when you ship a vehicle overseas. These are true regardless of where you’re shipping to, be it Seattle, Hawaii, an overseas U.S. territory, or even from one of them back to the mainland.

One of the most common questions regarding overseas shipping is whether you can have personal items in the vehicle when it’s shipped. The answer to this is a hard “no.” This is in contrast to overland shippers, who oftentimes will look the other way if you have a few personal belongings in your vehicle.

The reason why port shippers allow nothing personal in the vehicle is that it’s illegal – and the ships pass through international waters. Because of this, the regulations and restrictions imposed on them are much more stringent than those placed on interstate haulers.

Vehicles that are shipped overseas are either loaded directly onto the ship and then secured to the deck, or they are placed in a cargo container (like the ones you see at ports). Expenses differ for each, and not all vehicles will be able to be loaded either way. If you’re looking for a specific type of container, be sure to talk to the port – they’ll be able to answer your questions regarding that.

Get a quote to ship today with American Auto Shipping

Shipping from Seattle to Anchorage can seem like a daunting task, but it happens every single day. As such, we know we can help you get your vehicle moved from anywhere in the U.S. to Anchorage at a great and affordable rate when you need it moved. If you are interested in Seattle to Anchorage auto transport services, we recommend you fill out our free online quote form. If you do, you’ll get a free quote directly from us to ship your vehicle. You can also call our toll-free telephone number at 800-930-7417 to speak to one of our live agents.