What is Ro-Ro transport?
Ro-Ro (roll-on/roll-off) is the form of sea transport in which wheeled cargo is driven onto the ship over a ramp, without being lifted by a crane, and driven off again at arrival. It is used as part of a road shipment: the tractor and trailer together, or the trailer alone, are taken on board, and part of the road journey is made by sea.
What is the difference between accompanied and unaccompanied Ro-Ro?
The difference is what goes on board. In accompanied transport the tractor, the trailer and the driver are taken on board together; at the port of arrival the vehicle drives off under its own power and continues the road journey with the same crew. In unaccompanied transport only the trailer is handed over to the ship; the tractor and the driver stay in the country of departure, and a local tractor takes over the trailer at the port of arrival. The choice is a balance between cost and flexibility: unaccompanied improves fleet efficiency, while accompanied keeps waiting at the destination to a minimum and leaves responsibility in one hand.
On which routes is Ro-Ro used?
On the Türkiye–Europe axis, Ro-Ro is a real alternative to road. Lines run from ports in Türkiye such as İzmir/Çeşme, Pendik and Yalova towards Trieste in Italy, Sète in France and Lavrio in Greece. After Trieste there are intermodal links by block train to terminals in Germany, Belgium and Czechia. Because sailing frequency and transit time change from line to line and from period to period, the routing decision should be made together with the sailing schedule of that week. The comparison with a plain road run is described under road freight, and the full-truck and part-load choice under FTL and LTL.
When does Ro-Ro make sense compared with road?
The main advantage of Ro-Ro is not a shorter distance but that it removes the waiting items of road transport that cannot be predicted. The queue at border crossings ranges between hours and days with the season, and transit-permit quotas can run out during the year. The price is flexibility.
- When the transit-permit quota narrows or runs out
- In peak periods when the queue at the border crossings becomes unpredictable
- When driver and tractor capacity is limited
- Counter-argument: dependence on the ship's departure schedule and the extra day a port transfer can add
- Counter-argument: port and terminal items at both ends are added to the cost
What is the difference between Ro-Ro and container shipping?
The difference is how the cargo is taken on board and in which unit it is measured. In container shipping the box is lifted on by a crane, a method called lift-on/lift-off (Lo-Lo). In Ro-Ro the vehicle or trailer is driven in over the ramp, and capacity is measured in loading metres and vehicle units (see the loading metre calculator). In Ro-Ro the cargo is never unloaded from the trailer, so the number of handling operations falls and the door-to-door flow is not interrupted; a container gives a better scale over long distances, but inland haulage after the port has to be organised separately. See also FCL and LCL.
How do documents and customs work in Ro-Ro?
The sea leg does not change the character of the shipment as a road operation: the transport document is the CMR consignment note. On the customs side the transit regime applies: a TIR carnet, or a T1 or T2 declaration under the common transit regime, the latter opened electronically through NCTS. For cargo to the EU, an A.TR is issued for free-circulation status and, where proof of origin is needed, an EUR.1. In unaccompanied shipments it matters that the local tractor which takes over the trailer is included in the document chain. For the wider process see customs clearance.
Accompanied and unaccompanied Ro-Ro compared
| Criterion |
Accompanied |
Unaccompanied |
| What goes on board |
Tractor, trailer and driver |
The trailer only |
| Takeover at arrival |
The same vehicle and driver continue on the road |
A local tractor takes over the trailer |
| Use of the fleet |
Tractor and driver are tied up during the sea leg |
Tractor and driver can be assigned to other work at departure |
| Organisation at the destination |
No additional tractor allocation is needed |
Tractor allocation and terminal items are added |
| Best suited to |
When waiting at the destination is to be kept to a minimum |
Regular lines where driver and tractor capacity is limited |
Frequently asked questions
Is Ro-Ro counted as sea transport or as road transport?
Physically there is a sea leg, but commercially the shipment is set up as a road operation: the cargo is not unloaded from the trailer, the CMR is issued as the transport document and the transit regime applies on the customs side. Ro-Ro is not an alternative to container shipping; it is a part of the road route being carried by sea.
Is sending unaccompanied always cheaper?
Not necessarily. In unaccompanied transport the cost of tractor and driver falls away during the sea leg, but local tractor allocation and terminal items are added at the destination, and the time the trailer waits at arrival also enters the calendar. The comparison should be made on the total including the costs at both ends.
Is Ro-Ro faster than road?
There is no fixed answer. Ro-Ro largely removes border queues and transit-permit quota pressure and proceeds independently of driving and rest limits; on the other hand it depends on the ship's departure schedule, and a port transfer can add a day. Which is faster depends on the route and on the border congestion of the period.
How is cargo charged in Ro-Ro?
For full shipments charging is usually per vehicle or trailer. For part load the road logic applies: the loading metres occupied (LDM), the volume and the actual weight are compared, and the invoice is made on whichever is highest. Which conversion applies should be asked in writing at the booking-confirmation stage.
Can refrigerated or dangerous goods be sent by Ro-Ro?
It depends on the line's acceptance conditions and should be asked at the start. For refrigerated trailers what decides is keeping the temperature regime unbroken throughout the sea leg. For dangerous goods, lines may restrict by class and may not accept some classes at all.