Container or roll-on roll-off?
There are two ways to get a car across the Atlantic. Neither is right for every vehicle, and the cheaper one is often the sensible one. Here is how to tell.
Once a car has been collected and trucked to the export port, it crosses the Atlantic in one of two ways. It either goes inside a steel shipping container, or it is driven onto a specialist vehicle carrier and parked on one of its decks. That second method is roll-on roll-off, usually shortened to RoRo.
Both get the car here. The difference is in how it is protected on the way, what condition it has to be in, and what it costs. We ship both ways and will happily tell you when the dearer option is not worth it.
How container shipping works
The car is loaded into a container, secured inside it, and the container is sealed. It travels as a closed box: loaded onto the ship at the US port, lifted off at the UK end, and opened when it is unloaded. Nobody drives the car between those two points, and it sees no weather.
There are two ways to use a container:
- Shared. A 40ft container can carry your car alongside another vehicle, which splits the cost of the box. This is the usual way to get the protection of a container without paying for all of it.
- Sole use. A container of its own, for a car that should not share space or wait for a partner vehicle to be ready. We recommend this for valuable, rare or delicate cars.
Containers come back to our own site to be unloaded by our own team, rather than being emptied in a hurry at a port warehouse. With a classic or a freshly restored car, that care at the last step matters as much as the crossing.
How RoRo works
A RoRo ship is effectively a floating multi-storey car park. Vehicles are driven up a ramp, parked on a vehicle deck and secured, then driven off again at the destination port. Because there is no container to pay for, it is usually the cheaper method, and it is priced per vehicle.
The catch is that the car has to be driveable. It must go on and off under its own power, so a non-runner, a car with brake problems or one that cannot be steered reliably is not a RoRo candidate. It also travels on an open vehicle deck, so it is more exposed to the elements and to handling than it would be inside a sealed box.
Side by side
| Container | RoRo | |
|---|---|---|
| How it travels | Sealed inside a steel container | Driven on and parked on an open vehicle deck |
| Weather and handling | Fully enclosed and protected | Exposed to the elements in transit |
| Non-running vehicles | Yes, can be winched in | No, must drive on and off |
| Typical cost | Higher, less so if shared | Lower |
| Best for | Valuable, classic, modified or non-running vehicles | Straightforward, driveable, mainstream vehicles |
What can travel in the car
The short answer, for either method, is generally nothing. It is tempting to treat a car as a free crate for a few boxes, especially if you are moving house, but customs treat goods inside a vehicle as a separate import. Loose items are a common cause of delays and inspections at both ends, and anything that is in the vehicle has to be declared.
Take out anything that is not part of the car before it is collected. A box of belongings can hold up a whole shipment while it is examined, and the car cannot move on to clearance and testing until it is released.
If you are unsure whether something counts, ask us before the car is collected rather than after it has been found.
Security and condition
A sealed container is the more secure option simply because nobody has access to the car once the doors are closed. On a RoRo ship the car is driven by port and ship staff at each end, and it shares a deck with many other vehicles.
For a mainstream daily driver, that is a perfectly acceptable trade for the lower cost. For a car with low miles, fresh paint, a rare specification or a value that would make even a small scuff expensive, the container is worth the difference.
Whichever way it goes, we photograph the vehicle at collection. That record is what any insurance claim is measured against, so it protects you as much as us.
Which suits your car
Classic and collectible cars
Container, and often a container of its own. A classic may run perfectly well and still not be a car you want driven up a ramp by a stranger. The enclosed box, careful unloading and no exposure on an open deck are what you are paying for.
High-value and nearly new cars
Usually a container. The extra cost is small relative to the value of the car, and the cost of putting right even minor transit damage on a new, expensive vehicle can be more than the difference in freight.
Non-runners and project cars
Container only. If it does not drive, it cannot go RoRo. Bear in mind that a car has to be made roadworthy before it can be registered here, so price the work as well as the shipping.
Modified cars
Generally a container, particularly if the car sits low, carries expensive aftermarket parts or has been built for show rather than daily use.
Everyday pickups, SUVs and saloons
RoRo is often the sensible choice. A driveable, mainstream vehicle in average condition gains little from a container, and the saving can go towards the conversion work it will need here.
East coast or west coast
We ship from both the east and west coasts of the United States, and route the car to whichever export port makes most sense for where it is. East coast crossings are generally the quicker of the two and suit cars bought anywhere from New England down through the south-east, and much of the middle of the country.
A car bought in California or the Pacific north-west can leave from the west coast, though the transit is longer. Sometimes it works out better to truck it east first, and we compare the two when we quote. Either way, ocean transit is typically 4 to 6 weeks, and the inland leg to the port is usually the part that varies most in cost. That is why we ask for the ZIP code rather than just the state. Our guide to how long it takes puts the crossing in the context of the whole 8 to 16 weeks.
Marine insurance
Every vehicle we ship is covered by marine insurance for the crossing, quoted against the declared value. It covers loss and damage in transit. It is not a warranty on the car's mechanical condition, and it does not cover damage the car already had, which is another reason for the photographs at collection.
Under-declaring to save on the premium leaves you short if the worst happens. The same figure also feeds the duty and VAT calculation at the UK end, so it needs to be accurate in both directions. Our customs, duty and VAT guide shows how that works.
Getting it priced
There is no fixed answer to "how much more is a container?" because it depends on the car, the port, whether a shared slot is available and the sailing. When you ask us for a quote, tell us the vehicle, its condition and where it is. Where both methods are sensible we quote both, and say which one we would pick and why. The shipping page has the short version, and what it costs shows where freight sits among the other lines on an import.
Quick answers
Which is cheaper, container or RoRo?
RoRo is usually the cheaper of the two, and sharing a container with another vehicle narrows the gap. The actual figures depend on the vehicle, the port and the sailing, so we quote both where both are sensible.
Can I ship a car that does not run?
Yes, in a container. A non-running vehicle can be winched into a container. RoRo is not an option because the vehicle has to drive on and off the ship under its own power.
Can I put belongings in the car?
Generally no. Customs treat goods inside a vehicle as a separate import, and loose items are a common cause of delays and inspections at both ends. Anything that is in the vehicle must be declared.
Is the car insured on the crossing?
Yes. Every vehicle we ship has marine insurance for the crossing, quoted against its declared value. It covers loss and damage in transit, not the mechanical condition of the car or damage it already had.