Choosing the right RoRo shipping company is one of the most important decisions you will make when sending a vehicle overseas. Get it right and your car arrives on time, in the condition it left, with no unexpected costs and no stressful surprises at the destination port. Get it wrong and you could be dealing with missed sailings, documentation errors, hidden charges, or a vehicle sitting in a foreign port waiting for paperwork that should have been sorted weeks earlier.
The vehicle shipping industry — like any specialist sector — has its share of companies that do the job properly and companies that do not. The difference is not always obvious from a website or a quote. The difference shows up in how a company answers your questions before you book.
At Ship cars ltd, we welcome every question a client asks. We think informed clients make better decisions, have more realistic expectations, and ultimately have a smoother shipping experience. This page sets out the questions you should be asking any RoRo shipping company before you hand over your vehicle — and the answers you should expect to receive.
Are You a Freight Forwarder or a Direct Shipping Line Agent?
This is the first question worth asking, and many people never think to raise it. There is an important distinction between companies that book space on RoRo vessels as licensed freight forwarders or NVOCC operators, and those that are simply acting as resellers or brokers passing your business down a chain to someone else.
A reputable RoRo shipping company will have established, direct relationships with the major vehicle shipping lines — companies such as Grimaldi, Wallenius Wilhelmsen, MOL, NYK, and EUKOR. They will book space directly, manage the documentation directly, and be accountable to you directly when something needs resolving.
At Ship cars ltd, we work directly with the major RoRo shipping lines and container carriers. There is no middleman between us and the vessel — which means faster booking, more accurate information, and someone who can actually solve a problem if one arises.
What Does Your Quote Actually Include?
This is where the real differences between RoRo shipping companies often emerge. A low headline quote that excludes port handling charges, export documentation fees, terminal storage, or destination handling costs is not a genuine price — it is a starting point that will grow significantly by the time your vehicle is on the water.
Before accepting any quote for RoRo car shipping, ask specifically what is and is not included. The items that should be covered in a comprehensive quote include:
- UK port handling and terminal charges
- Customs export declaration (NES submission)
- Bill of Lading preparation
- Ocean freight from UK departure port to destination port
- Destination port handling charges — note that some companies quote to the vessel only and exclude discharge costs at the far end
A company that is transparent about its pricing structure from the outset is a company you can trust with the rest of the process.
Which UK Port Will My Vehicle Depart From?
Not all UK ports are equal for RoRo vehicle shipping, and the departure port will affect sailing frequency, transit times, and in some cases the cost of getting your vehicle there in the first place.
Major UK RoRo departure ports include Southampton, Tilbury, Bristol (Portbury), Sheerness, and Grimsby. Different destinations are served from different ports, and the frequency of sailings varies significantly. A company that can only access one or two departure ports may not be offering you the most efficient or cost-effective routing.
Ask which port will be used for your specific destination and why. Ask how frequently vessels depart on that route. If the answer is vague, that is worth noting.
At Ship cars ltd, we work across all major UK departure ports and select the most appropriate departure point based on the destination, sailing schedule, and the client’s location — not simply whatever is most convenient for us.
How Long Will Transit Take?
Transit times for RoRo vehicle shipping vary enormously depending on the destination. A shipment to mainland Europe may take a matter of days. A shipment to Australia will take the best part of a month. A vehicle headed to West Africa sits somewhere in between.
Any reputable RoRo shipping company should be able to give you a realistic, route-specific transit estimate — not a vague range that could mean anything. Ask for the approximate transit time from UK port departure to arrival at the destination port, and ask whether the vessel makes intermediate stops that could affect the timeline.
Also ask what happens if the sailing is delayed or the vessel schedule changes. How will you be notified? What are your options if a delay creates a problem at the destination end?
Who Manages the Export Documentation?
Export documentation for international vehicle shipping is not optional or administrative background noise — it is a legal requirement and a critical part of the process. Every vehicle leaving the UK requires a customs export declaration submitted to HMRC. A Bill of Lading must be correctly prepared. Depending on the destination, additional documentation may be required.
Ask the shipping company directly: who prepares and submits the export documentation? Do they manage it in-house, or do they pass it to a third party? What happens if there is an error?
At Ship cars ltd, all export documentation — including the NES customs declaration, Bill of Lading, and any destination-specific paperwork — is managed in-house by our team. We do not outsource this. It is too important to hand off to someone we cannot directly supervise.
What Are the Vehicle Preparation Requirements?
A professional RoRo shipping company will brief you clearly and proactively on what needs to be done to your vehicle before it arrives at the port. If a company takes your booking and says nothing about fuel levels, alarm deactivation, personal belongings, or battery condition — that is a warning sign.
The standard preparation requirements for RoRo vehicle shipping include reducing the fuel level to approximately one quarter tank, removing all personal belongings from the vehicle, disabling the alarm, and ensuring the vehicle is in full running condition. For destinations such as Australia, biosecurity cleaning is a legal requirement that must be arranged before the vessel departs.
Ask the company whether they provide a preparation brief as part of the booking process and what happens if your vehicle arrives at the port without meeting the requirements. A company that has clear answers to both questions is a company that has handled this before — many times.
Is My Vehicle Insured During Transit?
This is a question that surprises some clients when they realise the answer is not automatically yes. RoRo shipping lines carry what is known as carrier liability — a limited, formulaic level of responsibility for loss or damage that is typically far lower than the actual value of your vehicle.
Carrier liability is not the same as comprehensive marine insurance. If you want your vehicle to be insured for its full market value during a RoRo shipment, you need a separate marine cargo insurance policy.
Ask the shipping company whether marine insurance is included in their quote or available as an add-on. Ask what the claims process looks like if damage is identified at the destination port. A company that is straightforward about this — rather than glossing over it — is one that has its clients’ interests in mind.
Can You Handle Vehicle Collection from My Location?
Not everyone lives near a RoRo departure port. If your vehicle needs to travel from Manchester, Glasgow, Cardiff, or anywhere else to a port in Southampton or Tilbury, you need to know whether the shipping company can arrange this — and at what cost.
Ask whether vehicle collection is available from your postcode, how it is arranged, and whether the vehicle will be transported on a covered transporter or driven by a trade plate driver. For high-value or classic vehicles, the method of delivery to the port is just as important as the vessel voyage itself.
At Ship cars ltd, we offer nationwide vehicle collection using our network of trade plate drivers and enclosed car transporters. We coordinate collection as part of the booking — you do not need to arrange it separately or deal with a third party.
What Happens at the Destination Port?
A lot of vehicle shippers focus entirely on getting the car onto the vessel and give very little thought to what happens when it arrives. This is understandable — but it is also where many problems occur.
Ask the shipping company what you need to do when your vehicle arrives at the destination port. Who do you contact? What documents do you need to present for customs clearance? Are there storage charges if the vehicle is not collected promptly? Can they recommend a trusted local port agent to assist with clearance?
A company with genuine international experience will have answers to all of these questions — and will often have established relationships with local port agents at the main destinations they serve.
How Will You Keep Me Updated During the Shipment?
Once your vehicle is at sea, you want to know it is moving as planned. Ask the shipping company what their communication process looks like during transit. Will they notify you when the vessel departs? Will they update you on the estimated arrival date? Is there a tracking reference you can use?
Communication standards vary considerably across the vehicle shipping industry. Companies that are proactive about updates tend to be the same companies that are proactive about solving problems if something does go wrong.
Real Examples from Ship cars ltd
A first-time client in Edinburgh came to us after receiving a quote from another company that seemed unusually low. When we reviewed it together, three major cost components — UK terminal charges, the export declaration fee, and destination handling — were all excluded. The actual cost was significantly higher than our fully inclusive quote. They shipped with us, and the final invoice matched the original quote exactly.
A motor trader in the East Midlands asked us all the right questions before their first multi-vehicle RoRo shipment to Tema, Ghana. We walked them through every point — documentation, preparation requirements, port agent contacts at Tema, and customs clearance expectations. The consignment arrived and cleared without a single issue. They have shipped with us every month since.
Why Ship cars ltd Answers Every Question — Before You Ask
We do not wait for clients to ask the right questions. We brief every client proactively on pricing, documentation, preparation, transit, and destination clearance before the booking is confirmed. Because we know from experience that the clients who arrive at the port prepared — and who understand exactly what to expect at the other end — are the ones who have a smooth, stress-free shipment.
That is the standard we hold ourselves to at Ship cars ltd. And it is the standard you should expect from any RoRo shipping company you consider working with. Ship cars ltd — International RoRo and Container Vehicle Shipping from the UK. Worldwide. Every Week.