Because Alaska is an ocean move, pricing works differently than a mainland per-mile rate. Your quote combines the mainland road leg to the departure port (Tacoma, Washington) with the ocean sailing, so it depends on your mainland origin, the direction of travel, the vehicle’s height class and the sailing schedule rather than a simple per-mile figure. We book the sailing, deliver the car to the terminal with the right paperwork, and coordinate pickup at the other end, one quote and one point of contact.
What the ocean leg itself costs. These are the carriers’ own published rates, so you can check them:
- TOTE Maritime, Tacoma → Anchorage: $2,541 for a sedan, $3,175 for an SUV or pickup (Matson: $2,671 and $3,339)
- Anchorage → Tacoma: $1,887 (TOTE) to $2,025 (Matson)
- Kodiak and Dutch Harbor run higher; Fairbanks, Wasilla and the Kenai are delivered by road from Anchorage
- Sailings run twice a week, about three days at sea; plan on 7 to 14 days door to door
On top of the sailing you pay the mainland trucking to Tacoma and our coordination fee. TOTE allows up to 250 lb of personal items in the trunk for a flat $181; the vehicle must be operable, under 900 cubic feet, and dropped at the terminal by the Wednesday or Friday noon cut-off.
Electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles cannot currently be shipped by sea to or from Alaska. Matson has suspended EV and PHEV acceptance and TOTE stopped on 1 August 2025, both citing lithium-ion fire risk at sea. Conventional hybrids that do not plug in are still accepted.
