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Containers & Cargo Equipment

Roll-on/Roll-off

Also known as: Ro-Ro, RoRo

Roll-on/roll-off refers to vessels and services designed so that wheeled cargo — cars, trucks, trailers, buses, and self-propelled machinery — can be driven directly on board through ramps and driven off at destination, without cranes or containers. Ro-Ro is the efficient standard for shipping vehicles and rolling equipment in volume, minimizing handling and loading time. The cargo is secured on the vessel's decks for the voyage, and the method is prized for the speed of loading and discharge, making it central to the global automotive trade and to moving construction and agricultural machinery.

The JFS takeLicensed customs broker · Filer 82G

For vehicles the customs and agency work dwarfs the shipping. EPA and DOT conformity, and the export documentation on used vehicles, catch importers far more often than the loading ever does.

Where it matters for compliance

  • Vehicle imports carry agency conformity requirements in addition to customs entry.

Related terms

Break Bulk CargoBreak bulk cargo is freight that is loaded individually onto a vessel — in crates, drums, bags, bundles, or as single large pieces — rather than in shipping containers or as free-flowing bulk.CarrierA carrier is the party that physically transports goods from one place to another under a contract of carriage — an ocean line, airline, trucking company, or railroad — and that issues the transport document evidencing receipt of the cargo and the terms of transport.

Reviewed by a licensed customs broker. Definitions are general information, not legal or customs advice for a particular shipment. Duty rates, tariff programs and agency requirements change frequently.