There are a number of car shipping companies in the US. However, only few of these companies offer international shipment of cars. If you want to ship your cars to another country or if you want to import cars from another country you can hire the services of these companies to help you in that regard.

Usually, there are two different means through which you can ship a car to another country. You can make use of the airplanes. But the problem with airplane is that it is highly expensive. Only a few individual in the society can ship a car using the airplane. The commonest means of shipping a car to a foreign country is through the use of an ocean freighter. When you are shipping a car across the ocean, you should employ the services of a reliable auto shipping company.

There are two options of shipping a car across the ocean that you can choose from, namely roll on/roll off option and the container shipment option. In this article, you will learn about these options. It will help you to decide on which option is the best for you.

Roll on/Roll off Auto Shipping

This option involves the use of ships called roll-on/roll vessels. The vessels can also be called RoRo or ro-ro. These vessels have ramps through which vehicles can be driven directly into the ships and also driven out of the ships at the wharf. Before the introduction of this type of vessel by Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway in 1833, cars were shipped like other cargoes. The vehicles would be hoisted into the ship. No drop of fuel will be left in the cars’ fuel tanks and their batteries will be disconnected completely. This process besides being hectic and tiresome, it caused a number of damages to the cars that were being shipped. But the introduction of RORO vessels changed the whole process.

Roll on/roll off auto shipping does not involve much stress like the previous method. In this method, the vehicles are driven directly into the vessel through the ramp of the vessel. The vehicles will be parked in the deck of the ship. They are properly secured in deck. Nylon straps are used to tie them to the deck of the ships. So, even if the sailing is not smooth, the cars will not be affected greatly. It is a secure means of shipping a car across the ocean.

However, there are rules guiding shipping of vehicles through RoRo vessels. If you are taking this option, there is need for you to abide by these rules. Below are some of the rules to be observed.

Every vehicle to be shipped through this vessel should have working brakes and should be in running condition. So, if you want to ship your car using this option, there is need for you to repair your car. Make sure that the car is in good running condition before you take it to other shipping company for shipment. You are expected to leave the key of your vehicle on the ignition and then leave the doors unlocked.

Reference: Auto Transport > Shipping > Preparing to Ship your Car