RoRo or container: compare the total before the…

Eight Chinese-spec SUVs: RoRo quotes per unit, the container line quotes per box, and the two sheets tell you nothing when placed side by side. The units differ, so the unit prices cannot be compared. What can be compared is which option gives a more controllable total cost and risk under the same sailing.

Three tests decide it: whether the car can be driven on and off, whether fuel and cabin are cleared, and which unit the shipment is charged in. RoRo charges per unit, per CBM or per LM; containers charge by box type and count. Add terminal charges at both ends, storage and in-box securing, then compare the total, not the price per car.

✓Volume of new cars, self-propelled, one destination

RoRo charges per unit and terminal drivers handle the loading, so the cost per car is lowest

!One car, or two or three in one lot

RoRo per-unit rates often carry a minimum; container sharing splits well, but devanning and drayage are extra

!Used cars in containers

Depends on the carrier's terms and the box type; some RoRo carriers refuse used cars inside containers

×Comparing the two on price per car

The units differ, so unit prices cannot be compared; the result is a false account

Two billing systems, two units

Item	RoRo	Container
Billing unit	Cars per unit, vans per CBM, over-length cargo per LM, all three coexist	Per box type and box count; weight subject to VGM before loading
Used cars	Accepted by major carriers: self-propelled, fuel at 1/4 tank or less, no personal effects	Depends on carrier terms; some RoRo carriers refuse used cars inside containers
Securing	The car is driven into its slot and lashed by the ship's crew per slot	Four-point lashing inside the box, floor battens where anchors are short, wheel chocks front and rear
Risk	Anything outside a standard slot is re-rated per CBM or per LM, and the account changes with the unit	Narrow door space inside the box; handling damage and poor lashing are the main sources of claims
Best for	Volume, one port, uniform new cars and self-propelled used cars	Scattered units, in-box securing, or consolidation with other cargo

When a RoRo quote says per cubic metre, ask whether these cars are charged per unit or per CBM. In Grimaldi's notice, cars are per unit, vans are per cbm, and over-length cargo is per LM.

RoRo: three units side by side

Grimaldi's UK–West Africa rate adjustment, effective January 2023, states it plainly: cars are surcharged per unit, vans per CBM, over-length cargo per LM, three units on one route. Which one applies depends on whether the car fits a standard slot.

Höegh, Wallenius Wilhelmsen and NMT do not publish route tariffs, only carriage conditions. Three lines in the quote need checking: which unit the base rate uses, which unit the surcharges use, and whether a minimum applies.

Container: weight first

FCL is priced by box type and box count; inside the box the car is cargo, not a separate billing unit. Flat racks and open tops are special box types, and terminal storage lists them at a higher OOG tier.

Weight is a hard gate: under the SOLAS VI/2 amendment in force since 1 July 2016, the shipper must provide a verified gross mass before loading, and without a VGM the box does not sail.

Whether the car itself can be loaded

The three major carriers set similar conditions: the car drives on and off, fuel at 1/4 tank or less, no personal effects inside, batteries handled to the carrier's rule, no leaks. A few carriers only set a floor; Grimaldi is recorded as requiring at least 1/8 tank for running cars. Höegh takes non-self-propelled units only when new and applied for by the OEM.

For used cars in containers, Wallenius Wilhelmsen states that used vehicles stowed inside containers, trailers or trucks are not accepted, with exceptions such as ventilation subject to prior approval. The ACEA and ECG operations manual adds that a standard box is narrow for a car, the driver cannot open the door once parked, and a dedicated box with removable side panels is preferable. The first is a carrier term, the second an operating standard.

Low-clearance cars face no port ban. The only citable rule is an industry standard: a maximum ramp slope of 8 degrees for inland RoRo barges; approach angle, ground clearance and wheelbase must be declared at booking, or the unit may be refused.

Four steps to a decision

Confirm the car can move

Without self-propulsion RoRo has almost no entry; Höegh takes only new cars with an OEM application

Confirm fuel and an empty cabin

Most carriers require 1/4 tank or less; personal effects must go; batteries follow the carrier's rule

Choose the billing unit

Ask whether it is per unit, per CBM or per LM and whether a minimum applies, then compare with the FCL quote on the same basis

Check VGM and lashing

For containers, calculate VGM first, lash at four points, add chocks and floor battens where anchors are short

Five traps

✓Comparing a RoRo per-car rate with a container per-box rate; the units differ and the answer will be wrong
✓A RoRo quote says per cubic metre while cars are charged per unit and surcharges use yet another unit
✓Personal effects left in the car, cleared at the terminal, and the sailing is missed
✓Assuming a used car can go in a box without checking the carrier's terms and the box type
✓A low-clearance car declared without approach angle or ground clearance, refused at the terminal

Closing

RoRo saves on volume and handling steps; containers save on scattered units and in-box control. To size the landed cost, run the CIF figure through the site's import duty calculator (/en/duty-calculator) first, then add the charges of each mode.

This reflects the position verified on 5 November 2026; billing units and carriage conditions follow the carrier's current quotation and bill of lading terms, and port and terminal requirements follow current notices.