How to Ship a Non-Running Vehicle Overseas from the UK

RoRo lines require a driver to steer the vehicle on and off the ship. A non-runner cannot self-load. Lines that bend this rule charge heavy handling fees and may refuse on the day. Container is the proven route.

1. Vehicle delivered to our UK warehouse on a flatbed (we arrange UK collection).
2. Winched into the container using soft straps to avoid body damage.
3. Wheels chocked, axles strapped, drive train secured.
4. Container sealed with a numbered bolt seal.
5. Trucked to Felixstowe or London Gateway for the next sailing.

Sole-use 20ft container is the standard option, from £1,950 to UAE and £2,650 to Toronto. Add £250–£450 for non-running handling (winch crew, extra bracing).

Shared container is possible only if your vehicle is the lower car in an R-Rak stack — discuss at quote stage.

Same checklist as a running car: V5C, V5C/4, EORI, CDS, invoice, insurance, BL. Mark the vehicle condition clearly on the invoice ("sold as project / non-running") so destination customs does not value it as a running car. Include photos of the actual condition.

Agreed-value insurance is the right policy. We declare the project value, not the running value. Standard premium 1.8–2.5% of CIF. Without agreed value, a total loss settles on second-hand market price minus depreciation for condition.

Send VIN, dimensions and a photo. We confirm container size, loading method and price within hours. WhatsApp +44 (0)1495 320540, email info@shipcarsroro.co.uk or request a quote.

Here is what actually sits behind the headline number. The RoRo figure of £1,950 covers collection or drop-off at the UK load port, terminal handling in the UK, export customs entry, the ocean leg and standard marine transit cover. The container figure of £2,650 additionally covers the box, lashing and stuffing at the packing depot. It does not cover destination-side costs, and those are where budgets slip:

- Import duty and local taxes at Ship a Non-Running Vehicle Overseas, assessed on the customs value of the vehicle rather than on what you paid for it.
• Destination terminal handling and delivery order fees, typically the equivalent of £150–£400 depending on the port.
• Clearing agent fees — usually £150–£350, and effectively unavoidable where the customs system requires a registered broker.
• Storage if clearance stalls. Free time is normally 3–7 days after discharge, then daily demurrage.
• Inland delivery from the arrival port to the final address.

Ask for a landed-cost estimate rather than a freight quote when comparing suppliers — two quotes that look £200 apart on freight can be £900 apart once Ship a Non-Running Vehicle Overseas charges are added. Our quote form returns freight plus an itemised estimate of the destination charges we can see in advance.

Customs at both ends work from documents, not from phone calls. Assemble these before the vehicle is booked onto a sailing:

- V5C logbook (original, not the green slip). This is the proof of title UK export customs and Ship a Non-Running Vehicle Overseas customs both work from.
• Purchase invoice or bill of sale showing a realistic value — undervaluing is the single most common cause of a customs hold.
• Photo ID and proof of address for the exporter and the consignee.
• Bill of lading — issued after loading, and the document that releases the vehicle at Ship a Non-Running Vehicle Overseas.
• Export customs entry (CDS) filed by your forwarder, plus the NOVA/HMRC notification where the vehicle is leaving the UK permanently.
• Insurance certificate confirming cover and the agreed value for the voyage.

Where Ship a Non-Running Vehicle Overseas requires pre-shipment inspection, roadworthiness certification or an import permit, that document has to exist before loading — it cannot be obtained retrospectively once the vessel has sailed. Our customs clearance guide walks through each stage in order.

- Share a container. Two vehicles in a 40ft box typically cut the per-unit rate by 30–40% against sole use. See how shared loading works.
• Be flexible on the load port. Southampton, Immingham, Liverpool and Tilbury each serve different trades; moving one sailing or one port can change the rate materially. Compare the UK export ports.
• Avoid the peak. Rates firm up ahead of the summer relocation window and around the Chinese New Year equipment squeeze. Booking three to four weeks out is usually the sweet spot.
• Choose RoRo where the vehicle allows it. RoRo is cheaper than container for a standard, driveable car; container earns its premium for high-value, non-runner, modified or parts-laden shipments.
• Get the value right first time. A customs query at Ship a Non-Running Vehicle Overseas costs more in storage than any freight saving you might have made.

Around that, plan for:

1. Days 1–3 — booking and documents. Quote accepted, sailing reserved, V5C and invoice supplied, export entry prepared.
2. Days 3–10 — collection and delivery to port. The vehicle is collected or driven in, inspected and photographed, and receipted at the terminal.
3. Loading and departure. RoRo units are driven aboard; container loads are stuffed and lashed at the depot, then delivered to the quay. The bill of lading is issued after departure.
4. Ocean leg. Transit varies by service and any transhipment. Transhipment routings add roughly 5–10 days.
5. Arrival and clearance at Ship a Non-Running Vehicle Overseas. Duty and taxes assessed and paid, delivery order released, vehicle collected within the free-time window.

Build a two-week buffer into any plan that depends on the vehicle being available on a fixed date — vessel schedules move, and customs queues at Ship a Non-Running Vehicle Overseas are outside any forwarder's control.