What Is a Ro-Ro Ship? Roll-On Roll-Off Explained

Last updated: 23 October 2026

A ro-ro ship, short for roll-on roll-off, is a ship that carries wheeled cargo driven on and off by ramp. Cars, trucks, buses, tractors and even trains roll aboard, instead of being lifted by crane. Here’s how ro-ro ships work, the main types, and why they matter if you’re shipping a car or travelling by sea.

How ro-ro ships work

Ramps: a large stern or side ramp lowers onto the quay.
Decks: vehicles drive up internal ramps to multiple decks, some adjustable in height for trucks and machinery.
Lashing: each vehicle is secured with straps or chains for the voyage.
Speed: loading and unloading is fast, because there’s no crane work.

Fast cargo vessel near a seaport — Ro-ro ships have ramps so vehicles can drive on and off.

Types of ro-ro ship

Type	What it carries	Example use
PCC / PCTC (pure car and truck carrier)	Thousands of cars and trucks	New cars from Japan, Korea and Europe
Ro-pax	Vehicles and passengers	Ferries across the Channel, Irish Sea and Baltic
Con-ro	Vehicles and containers	Routes to West Africa and South America
Ro-ro cargo ship	Trucks, trailers and heavy machinery	Short-sea freight routes

The biggest car carriers can carry over 7,000–9,000 cars. They look like giant floating boxes with no visible decks.

Ro-ro vs container shipping for cars

	Ro-ro	Container
Cost	Usually cheapest	More expensive
Personal items in the car	Not allowed	Allowed in sole-use containers
Protection	Inside a covered deck	Sealed in a steel box
Car must be drivable	Usually	No

Read car shipping costs from the UK e importing a car from Japan to the UK.

Container ship sailing — Ro-ro and container shipping are the two main ways to ship a car.

Can you travel on a ro-ro ship?

Sì. Ro-pax ferries are designed for passengers. Some ro-ro and con-ro cargo ships also take a few passengers in cabins, especially on routes to West Africa and South America. Read cargo ship to West Africa e freighter travel from Antwerp.

Ro-ro ships and safety

Ro-ro ships have large open vehicle decks, so watertight integrity, cargo securing and fire safety are tightly regulated. International rules were strengthened after past accidents, and modern ro-ro ships are built and operated to strict standards.

Explore other ship types: what is a bulk carrier, freight ship types e biggest ships in the world.

Domande frequenti

What does ro-ro mean?

Roll-on roll-off: vehicles are driven on and off the ship by ramp.

How many cars can a ro-ro ship carry?

The biggest car carriers can carry over 7,000–9,000 cars.

Is ro-ro cheaper than container shipping?

Usually yes, for shipping a single drivable car.

Can I put things in my car on a ro-ro ship?

Usually not. Personal items are generally not allowed in cars shipped by ro-ro.

Can passengers travel on ro-ro ships?

Yes, on ro-pax ferries, and on some ro-ro cargo ships with passenger cabins.

Travel on a ro-ro ship

Ask us about passenger cabins on ro-ro ships to Africa and South America.

Get a voyage quote →

About
Latest Posts

Seguimi

Steve Joury

Consulente di viaggio Cargo at Cargoholidays

Appassionato di viaggi lenti e di mare. Steve conosce la maggior parte delle rotte di navigazione e le procedure per scoprire il nostro bellissimo mondo dal mare su una nave container. Ha partecipato a molti viaggi, da 7 giorni di viaggio in cargo a 140 giorni a bordo.