RoRo Car Shipping — Complete UK Guide for 2026

RoRo — roll-on/roll-off — is the volume product of international car shipping. Around 70% of the 280,000 vehicles exported from the UK each year leave on a RoRo vessel from Southampton, Tilbury or Liverpool. RoRo is the cheapest legal way to ship a running car overseas, but it has restrictions: no personal effects in the vehicle, no non-runners, no oversize 4x4s above standard deck height. This 2026 guide covers every working detail.

A RoRo vessel is a multi-deck floating car park. Cars drive on at the UK port, are chocked and lashed to the deck by a stevedoring team, sail to the destination, and drive off. No crane, no container, no packaging. UK departures use specialist car-only vessels like the Wallenius Wilhelmsen Tysla (8,000-car capacity) and Höegh Trapper (6,500-car capacity) on weekly schedules. Wallenius Wilhelmsen and Höegh Autoliners publish their UK schedules. See our RoRo service page.

Published 2026 benchmark prices per single saloon: UK to UAE £1,895, UK to USA East Coast £1,400, UK to USA West Coast £1,650, UK to Australia East Coast £2,950, UK to Pakistan Karachi £950, UK to Nigeria Lagos £1,650, UK to Kenya Mombasa £1,750, UK to New Zealand Auckland £3,150. Pricing is by cubic metre, so 4x4s and SUVs pay a 15–25% premium. Inland UK collection within 50 miles of port is included free.

Southampton sees the highest UK RoRo volume — weekly sailings to USA East Coast (14 days), USA Gulf Coast (18 days) and West Coast (28 days). Tilbury runs to Africa, Middle East and South Asia — UAE in 21 days, Pakistan in 28, Kenya in 32. Liverpool handles Caribbean and West Coast USA. See our departure ports guide for vessel schedules and frequencies.

Four hard limits on RoRo cargo. (1) Non-runners — vehicle must drive on under its own power; immobile cars need container. (2) Personal effects inside the vehicle — no boxes, no shipping fluid above 1/4 tank, no items in glove box or boot. (3) Oversize — anything over 2.2m tall or 5.5m long is priced as 'high and heavy' at premium rate. (4) Hazardous cargo — no lithium battery spares, no fuel containers. For loaded shipments use container service.

Standard pack: V5C log book, EORI number, CDS export declaration, photographic condition report at loading. The bill of lading is issued 5–7 days after sailing and couriered to the consignee. Total elapsed time from booking to vehicle on board is 7–10 working days for first-time exporters (EORI lead time) and 3–4 working days for repeat customers. See our CDS guide.

RoRo is the right answer for any single running, standard-sized car going to a mainstream destination. It costs 40–60% less than container shipping, runs on weekly schedules from three UK ports, and has predictable transit times. The trade-offs — no loaded personal effects, running-only requirement, no oversized vehicles — are the price of the cost saving. For everything that fits those rules, RoRo wins on every metric.

Ready to book RoRo from the UK? Fixed 2026 prices in 60 seconds — request a quote or WhatsApp +44 (0)1495 320540.