What is the reason that RoRo shipping has been the dominant form of car transportation for more than half a century? It is slow, with a restricted number of deep water ports you can embark from. It involves frequent changes from one mode of transport to another, and is fraught with the risk of damage and theft.
The answer is that, up to now, there hasn’t been a widely available, cost-effective alternative to RoRo. RoRo shipping is a tried and tested method, with established shipping lanes and logistical networks and a low transportation cost per unit.
What About Container Transport For Cars?
While many transport companies give this some consideration, container shipping too comes with its share of problems. A standard shipping container won’t accommodate more than two or three vehicles at the most without using some kind of racking system. This makes it a very expensive way to ship cars – even though containerisation comes with none of the handling risks associated with RoRo shipping. Cars in containers won’t experience weather damage, or accidental bumps during transfers, or deliberate theft and vandalism. For most businesses, however, this reduced risk does not compensate for the higher shipping costs.
You can lower shipping costs by using racking within the container, but this traditionally involves fitting temporary wooden racking on a case-by-case basis. You may increase your carrying capacity by another one or two cars, but you then have to manage increased labour costs and the expense of construction materials – all for racking which can only usually be used once.
For this reason container transport is not viewed as an economical option for car logistics companies, especially when moving large volumes around the world.
We have written our Containerised Car Transport Guide to make you give container transport a second thought.
Improvements in racking technology now allow you to transport up to six cars in a 40 or 45 foot shipping container. This suddenly changes the price equation, especially when you choose a flexible solution that enables multiple transport of different types of car within the same container.
A New Generation of Re-Usable Steel Racking
Our R-Rak stainless steel, reusable racking solution is one of a new generation of innovative racking systems that open up new possibilities for container transport in the automotive industry. Adaptable and reusable, our racking solution can be customised to meet your requirements, lowering both the costs and risks involved with shipping cars around the world.
Claim Your Copy of Our FREE E-Book
Find out more about what we mean by downloading a complimentary copy of the Containerised Car Transport Guide today. Sections cover topics such road, rail and sea shipping options, different racking systems and the comparative costs and risks associated with different forms of transport. Click here to access your copy.
