Government Shipping Services

Government Shipping Services

US flag with US-Flagged Service captionShipping containerized and bulk cargo to and from the U.S. West Coast is easy and fast on U.S.-flagged vessels with Matson’s Hawaii, Guam/Micronesia, Japan, and Alaska services. Matson offers the industry's fastest transits with weekly service and dedicated terminals for faster cargo access.

Matson is a long-time partner of the U.S. Transportation Command (USTC) and Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC) and is their leading liner carrier in the Pacific with monthly performance scores consistently rated "Excellent" by USTC/SDDC.


Superior Service Schedules and Transit Times

  • Six Hawaii arrivals from the West Coast every 14 days - more than any other carrier.
    • Our schedule includes twice-weekly service from Northern California.
    • From Southern California, Matson offers twice-weekly service, with direct sailings from Long Beach to Honolulu every Saturday and Wednesday.
    • In addition, Matson provides weekly Saturday departures from the Pacific Northwest.
  • Containership service to more Alaska ports than any other carrier.
    • Matson's Alaska service provides twice weekly, consistent day-of-the-week service between Tacoma, Anchorage, and Kodiak.
    • Matson also offers weekly service between Tacoma and Dutch Harbor.
  • Fastest transit time to Guam/Micronesia/Palau/Kwajalein from U.S. West Coast.
    • Matson offers weekly service between the U.S. West Coast and Guam.
    • Service to Kwajalein is twice monthly.
  • Weekly service between Naha, Okinawa and the U.S. West Coast.
    • With weekly service to the Port of Naha, Okinawa as part of our expedited China-Long Beach Express (CLX) service, Matson offers transit times from the U.S. West Coast up to four days faster than the competition.
    • Westbound transit times to Naha are 21 days from Tacoma, 18 days from Oakland, 17 days from Long Beach, and 10 days from Honolulu.
    • Eastbound transits from Naha are 14 days to Long Beach, 17 days to Oakland, and 33 days to Tacoma.

Westbound Transit Times

Port Frequency Long Beach Oakland Tacoma
Honolulu 3x weekly 4 days 4 days 7 days
Guam 1x weekly 13 days 14 days 17 days
Naha 1x weekly 17 days 18 days 21 days
Kwajalein 2x monthly 30 days 31 days 33 days

Northbound Transit Times

Port Frequency Tacoma
Anchorage 2x weekly 4 days
Kodiak 2x weekly 5 days
Dutch Harbor 1x weekly 7 days

Customer Service - One Call From Beginning to End

Matson offers customer support which simplifies the entire freight transportation process. By calling one toll-free number, 1-888-8MATSON (1-888-862-8766), federal, military, or other government customers can quickly and easily obtain information pertaining to any aspect of doing business with Matson, including rate quotations, booking, billing, schedules, equipment needs, shipment status, and resolution.


Cargo Visibility - 24/7 Access Online

For added convenience, Matson offers federal, military, and other government shipping customers online access to book, track, and handle their shipment information needs. Through the use of customized booking templates, customers can complete a booking with a minimal amount of "clicks." Shipment tracking allows customers to track the status of a container throughout its movement.

Other online features include account balance information, tariffs, vessel schedules, submission of billing instructions, and retrieval of billing documents. The site also gives customers the option of contacting an account specialist while online to assist with a transaction.


Intermodal Service from Any U.S. Point of Origin

In addition to our ocean transportation services, Matson can arrange the complete transportation from origin to destination using connecting rail and/or truck services for military freight or government shipments originating from or destined to points beyond the West Coast.

Simplify the transportation process by using Matson to arrange the entire move to or from Hawaii, Guam, Micronesia, Palau, Kwajalein, Japan, Alaska, and the U.S. West Coast regardless of the point of origin.


Specialized Services

Matson can tailor its government shipping and military freight services to your needs. In addition to our ocean transportation and customer support features, our offerings include specialized container equipment and electronic data interchange (EDI).

  • Oversized and Non-Containerized Freight Shipments
    U.S. Coast Guard patrol boat prepares for transport aboard a Matson vessel as part of Matson's government shipping services.Matson can transport oversized freight that exceeds the dimensions of a container or flatrack or eclipses equipment limitations, including oversized vehicles or heavy machinery. We have expertise in transporting one-time shipments and large project moves, which involves carefully coordinating transportation to a specific and timely schedule.
  • Hazardous Goods
    Matson also provides customers with transportation solutions for hazardous cargo.
  • Personally Procured Moves (PPM) and Household Goods (HHG) 
    Matson moves thousands of households annually and has decades of experience moving household goods in containers for the military and the U.S. government to and from the U.S. mainland, Hawaii, Guam, Alaska, and Okinawa.

    • We provide fully protected steel-constructed ocean containers to keep household goods secure during ocean transit.
    • Our customer service team can help households determine what size container is right for their move.
    • Households or their movers pack the container and Matson ships it across the Pacific for on-time arrival with no surprises.
  • Vehicle Shipments - Personally Owned Vehicles (POV)
    We have more experience shipping vehicles for consumers, manufacturers, businesses, military personnel, and the U.S. government than any other carrier in the Pacific. Matson carries thousands of cars and trucks every year to and from the U.S. mainland, Hawaii, Guam, and Alaska in specially designed auto frames, in containers, or in secure garage stowage.

    • U.S. military and government personnel can easily book additional vehicles online, anytime, anywhere, and on any device.
    • Shipping a vehicle with Matson offers peace of mind with on-time arrivals, helpful customer service, dedicated auto lots for easy drop-off and pick-up, and online vehicle tracking.
    • Matson offers competitive rates to ship vehicles. View our pricing for more details.
    • Matson has dedicated auto lots to help customers avoid nearby terminal congestion and help ensure fast and convenient drop-off and pick-up.
    • To learn more about shipping a car with Matson or to get a free quote, call our customer service team at 1-800-462-8766

Special Projects

  • One Time Only (OTO) and Unit Moves
    U.S. military frieght aboard a Matson ship.Matson has a long-history of moving U.S. government cargo across the Pacific to key destinations in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, Kwajalein, Okinawa, and other parts of the South Pacific. We have experience with OTO and Unit Moves that include large quantities of oversize equipment moving together on a very tight timeline to remote locations. We work in conjunction with Matson Logistics to provide all the necessary services: equipment handling at origin and destination, blocking/bracing/lashing on flatracks, rail and truck transportation, and ocean shipping. Matson also works with other shipping lines to marry up services on a global basis to meet the needs of our military and other U.S. government customers.

For free quotes, more information on military freight, federal transport, or government shipping, or to place a booking, please contact our Customer Service Government Services Team by calling 1-888-8MATSON (1-888-862-8766) or email government@matson.com.