Shipping
RoRo vs Container Shipping for Cars: Which One Is Right for Your Buyer?
Your buyer has picked a car and agreed on the price. Then comes the next question: "How will it come?" There are two main ways to ship a car from Japan: RoRo and container. Most buyers have heard both words but don't know the difference. If you can explain it in two minutes, you look like someone who knows the business.
What RoRo means
RoRo is short for Roll-on, Roll-off. The car is driven up a ramp into a special car carrier ship, parked on one of its car decks and tied down. At the destination port, it is driven off again. That's it. No box, no crane.
These ships are built only for vehicles and carry hundreds of them on each trip. They sail on fixed routes to ports that have the space and equipment to handle cars.
What container shipping means
With container shipping, the car is loaded into a steel shipping container, usually a 20-foot or 40-foot one. The container is locked, put on a normal cargo ship, and only opened again at the destination.
A container can carry one car on its own, or it can be shared. Two or more cars often go together in one 40-foot container, and the cost is split between them.
The main differences
Price
For one ordinary car, RoRo is usually the cheaper option. A container used for just one car costs more. Sharing a container brings the price per car down, but then the car may have to wait until the container is full.
Protection
In a container, the car is closed inside a steel box for the whole trip. Weather, salt air and other vehicles can't touch it. On a RoRo ship, the car is inside the ship's car deck, but it is driven on and off by port workers and parked close to many other vehicles. Small scratches or dents during handling are more likely, though most cars arrive without a problem.
The car must be able to drive
RoRo needs a car that starts and drives, because it has to roll onto the ship. A car that doesn't run, or one that is very low to the ground, is normally shipped in a container instead.
Things inside the car
This one causes a lot of trouble. On RoRo, you can't leave personal items inside the car. Shipping lines check the cars before loading, and extra items may be removed, or the car may even be refused. In a container there is more room for spare parts or other goods. Even then, the shipping company must agree first, and dangerous items like fuel or gas cans are never allowed.
If your buyer says "put some extra tyres in the boot", check the shipping method before you say yes.
Which ports
Container ships call at many more ports around the world than RoRo ships do. RoRo works well for big vehicle ports such as Dar es Salaam or Mombasa. For smaller ports, a container may be the only choice.
If your buyer is in a country with no sea, like Malawi or Zambia, the car still lands at a sea port first and then travels the rest of the way by road. So the shipping method only covers the sea part of the trip.
| RoRo | Container | |
|---|---|---|
| Usual cost for one car | Lower | Higher, unless the container is shared |
| Protection during the trip | Good | Best, the car is locked in a box |
| Car must be able to drive | Yes | No |
| Personal items inside | Not allowed | Sometimes, if the shipper agrees |
| Ports served | Big vehicle ports | Many more ports |
So which one should your buyer choose?
For a normal used car going to a big port, RoRo is the common choice. It is simple and it costs less.
A container makes more sense when:
- the car is expensive and the buyer wants the best protection
- the car doesn't run
- the destination port isn't served by RoRo ships
- the buyer is importing more than one car and wants them to travel together
How it affects your price
The shipping method changes the freight cost, so it changes the CNF price too. Two quotes for the same car can be different just because one is RoRo and the other is container. If you need a refresher on what CNF covers, read our FOB vs CNF vs CIF guide.
Some countries also need the car to be inspected in Japan before it ships, and that adds to the price as well. We explain that in our article on pre-shipment inspection.
When you quote, say the method along with the price, for example "USD 9,500 CNF Dar es Salaam, RoRo". Then the buyer knows exactly what they are paying for. And as always, check the final amount on the proforma invoice (PI) before the buyer pays, because freight rates and schedules change.
Most buyers will never ask about this. The ones who do are often the serious ones. A clear answer helps you close the deal.