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Ro Ro Shipping

Without the right resources, equipment, or technology in place, it can be difficult to make heavy freight transportation feasible on your cargo ship. RoRo cargo can include construction equipment, oil and gas equipment, windmills, boating machinery, vehicles and more. If the cargo can roll under its own power or on a specialized cargo trailer, RoRo shipping could be the solution you are looking for. Shipping cargo on RoRo Vessels can help with unique, heavy loading and unloading needs. Ceres Terminals has cultivated successful port and terminal solutions that your shipping company needs to succeed. To learn more about how RoRo Shipping Technologies can improve your cargo management, keep reading.

What is RoRo Shipping

RoRo typically refers to “Roll on & Roll off” solutions. This means, with effective RoRo technology and services in place, you can incorporate specially designed heavyweight cargo ships that are able to effectively roll on or roll off any precious cargo from your ship.

Whether utilizing a standard PCTC (Pure Car Truck Carrier) Vessel or another type of vessel with RoRo cargo capabilities, specialized equipment can easily remove your heavyweight cargo without crane lifting it. With these technologies in place, your maritime team can mitigate risks in handling heavy machinery. Typically incidents in the RoRo shipping sector are less catastrophic than in other sectors requiring high lifting and more specialized gear. Measured in lanes and meters, RoRo technology can also be utilized and incorporated in the naval sector to transport important naval freight and machinery.

“Break Bulk Cargo” is a term that refers to non-containerized cargo that is delivered as separate pieces due to the oversize and overweight nature of the shipment. When organizing cargo as “break bulk,” it can often mean that the majority of standard freight containers might not be able to accommodate this size or type of product.

Types of RoRo Shipping Solutions

While there is a plethora of RoRo vessels for your heavy and oversized cargo needs, below are some of the most common solutions. To learn more about Ceres Terminals and our unique, RoRo Technology services, contact our team today.

  1. PCTC (Pure Car Truck Carrier) Ships
  2. RoPax or Transport Ferry Vessels
  3. General Cargo Ship with RoRo Facilities and Ramps
  4. ConRo Ship with evenly distributed weight management

Truck Carrier RoRo Ships: Designed only for four-wheeled vehicles

RoRo Shipping: Top Benefits

As one of the main benefits, RoRo shipping allows heavyweight cargo to stay on the ship until reaching the desired destination to be subsequently rolled off the ship. With that in mind, your maritime team can provide safer, more efficient solutions to your heavyweight loading and unloading needs. Avoid crane lifting expensive, dangerous handling equipment and spend less money on accidents, machine damage, or even crane solutions.

Rolling cargo on and off a vessel with RoRo Technology is faster than any other solution. After implementation, many shipping professionals tend to prefer this method — especially in instances where high-value cargo is being transported. As shipping companies begin to invest in faster and more reliable ships, RoRo Technology can provide simpler, seamless solutions for heavyweight cargo with a less sophisticated logistics chain.

RO-RO Operations & Safety

In the past few years, the expansion of the Ro-Ro facilities in the ports has become one of the main focuses. Roll-on/roll-off ships are vessels designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as automobiles, trucks, semi-trailer, trucks and trailers. Cars are driven on and off the ship on wheels.

Ro-Ro vessels with built in ramps allow the cargo to be efficiently rolled on and off the vessel by using the ship’s or shore-based ramps. Ro-Ro is generally reserved for larger oceangoing vessels. The ramps and doors may be Stern only or bow and stern for quick loading. Ro-Ro ships are designed to accommodate mechanized or self-propelled cargo. In addition, trailers are used to carry cargo aboard that is removed from the trailer and stacked compactly in the cargo area. Ro-Ro ships may also require the use of specialized equipment to stow and lash the vehicles and cargo.


The Ro-Ro transport system has resulted to quicker cargo operations at the terminals and the efficiency of transportation has led to the smooth flow trade.

Types of Ro-Ro vessels

Various types of Ro-Ro vessels include ferries, cruise ferries, cargo ships and barges. New automobiles that are transported by ship are often moved on a large type of Ro-Ro called a pure car carrier (PCC), Car Equivalent unit (CEU) or pure car/truck carrier (PCTC). Unlike elsewhere in the shipping industry where cargo is normally measured by the metric ton, Ro-Ro cargo will typically be measured in the more convenient unit of lanes in meters (LIMs). This is calculated by multiplying cargo length in meters by the number of docks and by its width in lanes (lane width differs from vessel to vessel and there are a number of industry standards).

 

Aboard PCCs cargo capacity is often measured in RT or RT43 units, which are based on a 1966 Toyota or by car equivalent units (CEU).

ROPAX describes a Ro-Ro ship equipped with cabins to accommodate several hundred passengers. The CON-RO ship is a hybrid of a Ro-Ro and a containership. This type of ship generally has below deck areas used to store cargo such as vehicles, while the top deck is used to stack container freight.

Each type of ship and each type of cargo present different challenges and risks to marine cargo-handling employers and workers when moving, arranging and fitting the cargo into the RO-RO vessel during the loading and discharge operations.

 Ro-Ro Operation/ Safety Measures

The marine cargo handling employers and workers involved in roll-on and roll-off (Ro-Ro) operations recognize hazards and prevent accidents, injuries and fatalities when loading or unloading ships in port. Hazards exist in Ro-Ro operations because the fast-paced work is conducted around the clock and is sometimes conducted in inclement weather.

Accidents relating to Ro-Ro operations may occur when various types of motorized vehicles travel inside ships, on ramps, docks, marshalling areas and parking locations. Ro-Ro accidents can be serious and it is important for all employers involved in Ro-Ro operations to implement their own safety rules and comply with those rules established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the port trust association.

Accidents onboard ships may be the result of hazardous conditions such as inadequate lighting, equipment, traffic, weather, or access. In all cases, the employer remains responsible for ensuring the safety of its workers. Various jobs are performed on ship’s RO-RO decks by vessel crew, stevedores, longshoremen and management. Hence, close co-operation among all parties are essential.

Here are some of the cargo areas in which OCeanin Express LLP can extend their knowledge and support:

  • Unloading Oversized Cargo
  • Discharging Machinery
  • Loading High & Heavy Cargo
  • Processing Wheeled Vehicles

In order for your products to arrive at their destination in the shortest amount of time and as safely as possible, RoRo Technology and Services offer the best solution.