When I'm asked "Should I ship my car RORO, or in a container, which is better?", I always ask myself "If it was my car, would I use RORO?". And for most situations, the answer is always yes.
Here's why in our opinion RORO is best;
Cost
I think it's pretty safe to say that everyone wants to keep their costs down as much as possible, Right? RORO is the cheapest way to do it.
Why RORO Vessels?
The vessels used for RORO are designed from scratch to be used for carrying cars, boats and any self-propelled or towable cargo. Container ships are designed to carry containers that are general freight. There is nothing specific to vehicles at all. All of the major car manufacturers use RORO Vessels to distribute their brand new vehicles all around the world, yes ALL of them, so you can rest assured knowing that if the manufacturers allow their cars to roll straight off the production line and onto a RORO Vessel then they must be perfectly safe.
Handling
Your car will be handled less than if using a container service, as they literally drive the vehicle on board, secure it and drive it off again at the destination.
Storage Location
It is commonly believed that RORO means that the vehicle is secured to the deck of the vessel. This is not the case at all, they are loaded below deck into the hull of the ship and are completely weatherproof. No exposure to the elements or salty air/water.
Summary
In general we always recommend RORO. That's not to say that RORO is always better than Container, if you are relocating overseas and have other items to send with the vehicle then RORO is not an option for you. Or you may be shipping to a port that is only serviced by container vessels. If in doubt please give me a call and discuss exactly what you need so we can find a solution for you..