Once you have agreed a price and terms, one practical decision remains: how the vehicle physically travels. There are two realistic options out of China, and the right answer depends on your route, your volume and your risk tolerance.
Roll-on / roll-off (RoRo)
The vehicle is driven onto a purpose-built vessel and secured on a deck, much like a floating multi-storey car park. It is driven off at the destination.
Advantages
- Usually the lowest cost per unit for single vehicles on established lanes.
- No loading or unloading labour, and no container to unpack.
- Simple, well-understood process at both ends.
Drawbacks
- The vehicle is exposed to the marine environment and handled by port staff.
- Nothing may be shipped inside the vehicle — it must be empty.
- The vehicle must be in running, drivable condition.
- Services run on fixed schedules to a limited set of ports.
Container shipping
The vehicle is loaded into a shipping container, braced and secured. A 20ft container typically takes one vehicle; a 40ft container can take two, or more with specialist racking.
Advantages
- The vehicle is fully enclosed and protected.
- Available to almost any port worldwide, not just RoRo lanes.
- Non-running vehicles can be shipped.
- Parts and accessories can be shipped alongside, subject to declaration.
- Cost per unit falls sharply when consolidating multiple vehicles.
Drawbacks
- Loading and bracing add cost and require competent handling.
- Destination unpacking adds a step and a charge.
- Higher cost for a single vehicle than RoRo where RoRo is available.
How to choose
Choose RoRo for one or two running vehicles on a major lane where cost matters more than enclosure.
Choose container for multiple vehicles, high-value or luxury cars, non-running vehicles, destinations without RoRo service, or where you want the car enclosed throughout.
For dealers ordering in volume, container consolidation is usually the better economics as well as the better protection — which is why most of our wholesale new vehicle orders ship that way.
Electric vehicles
Traction batteries are dangerous goods. This affects which carriers and services will accept the vehicle, may require a specified state of charge, and adds declarations. Confirm the routing early; it can rule out sailings you were counting on.
What affects the quotation
Vehicle dimensions and weight, the port pairing, current freight rates, seasonality, and whether you are shipping one unit or filling a container. Because ocean rates move, any figure quoted weeks in advance is indicative until booking.
Note that RoRo and container describe how the vehicle travels, while FOB and CIF describe who pays and where risk transfers — see FOB vs CIF explained.
Give us your destination port and quantity and we will price both methods so you can compare.