How Car Parts Really Get From the U.S. to the Islands

How Car Parts Get From the U.S. Mainland to the Caribbean

A lot of people think ordering a car part for the Caribbean works like Amazon — you just click, pay and wait.

We wish it were that easy.

When you order an engine or transmission, it doesn’t come straight to you. First, it goes to a U.S. shipping warehouse near a major port, usually in Florida. That’s where it gets checked, packed, and prepared for export.

From there, it’s loaded onto a ship that sails to the Caribbean. It could be any freight forwarder, but most people choose Tropical Shipping. These ships don’t leave every day, so timing matters. Once it’s on the water, it takes a few days to reach the island, then it goes through customs before it’s released to a local agent for pickup or delivery.

That’s why shipping to the islands takes longer than shipping within the U.S. — there are more steps, more handoffs, and more rules involved.

At Caribbean Motoring, we manage that whole process for you. We work with U.S. suppliers, freight forwarders, and Caribbean shipping lines so we always know where your part is and what stage it’s in.

If you’re trying to get an engine or transmission to the islands and don’t want to deal with the chaos, just send us your VIN or vehicle info. We’ll find the right part, quote it out, and handle the shipping.