What is Ro-Ro Transport?

Ro-Ro is an abbreviation derived from the terms “Roll-on” and “Roll-off.” Ro-Ro transportation in logistics refers to the easy transport of vehicles by ships. In the early days, ferries were the primary means of transport, playing a major role in moving goods from one place to another with minimal effort. Logistics vehicles can be easily transported overseas on specially designed, large ships. Ro-Ro transportation emerged as a response to increasing customer demands and growing trade volumes. Not only trucks and trailers, but also locomotives, railway wagons, and containers can be transported internationally using the Ro-Ro system.Ships Used in Ro-Ro Transportation
With the growth in trade and increasing customer demands in logistics, Ro-Ro transportation has expanded significantly. The massive ships capable of carrying large loads in a single trip are referred to as Ro-Ro vessels. Since goods transported on Ro-Ro ships are not stacked using a cargo hold system, this method is considered one of the safest transportation systems.As the cargo is carried on vehicles and not stacked like in traditional holds, the risk of damage due to external factors is quite low. Ro-Ro shipping operations require minimal manual labor, as the system relies more on specialized equipment. There are specially equipped ports that allow Ro-Ro vessels to carry out loading and unloading operations efficiently. Many cities in each country have ports with such specialized infrastructure. After unloading, if there is no new cargo to be loaded, the ships can quickly depart from the port.

Ro-Ro Ships’ Carrying Capacities and Services

Ro-Ro transport vessels differ from each other in terms of carrying capacity. Therefore, the types and number of vehicles they can carry also vary. The factors affecting carrying capacity can be listed as follows:The size of the vessels,
The type of vessels,
The length of the vehicles,
The volume of the vehicles.Vessel Sizes
Ro-Ro transportation services, which started with the transport of passenger cars and trucks by ferry, use vessels whose sizes typically range between 100 meters and 285 meters. These ships, which are larger than ferries, are sufficient for transporting high-volume wheeled vehicles. Smaller vessels of around 100 meters can comfortably carry up to 30 trucks. Because transportation times are quite short, operations run frequently, ensuring mutual customer satisfaction. Larger vessels, on the other hand, can carry up to 52 trucks in a single voyage. While the maximum car-carrying capacity is 500, the truck capacity is limited to 100.

Procedures Required for Ro-Ro Transportation

Permission is obtained from the Port Authority for loading vehicles at a specified date and time.
Before the loading date, the details regarding how the vehicles will be loaded onto the ship must be discussed between the companies. According to the agreement made, the vehicles are loaded onto the ships accordingly.
Vehicle drivers must be present when their vehicles are being loaded onto Ro-Ro vessels.
At the scheduled date and time, the ship’s ramps are opened and the loading of vehicles begins in sequence.

Advantages of Ro-Ro Transportation

Advantages of Ro-Ro TransportationRo-Ro transportation plays a very important role, especially in the international transport of high-volume wheeled vehicles from one country to another. The advantages it provides to logistics companies can be summarized as follows:Loading and unloading operations on Ro-Ro ships are carried out in the most practical way in transportation processes.
It provides time savings for companies due to fast transport durations.
It offers financial advantages as transportation costs are low thanks to reduced effort.
Since there is no stacking inside ships, the risk of damage to goods inside vehicles is very low.
During transit, transported goods are not exposed to water-related damage.
Due to the ships’ speed and short waiting times at ports, the number of voyages is quite high.
Loading and unloading operations are carried out by experts in the field.
It is one of the safest and most cost-effective transportation methods in maritime transport.
Because it is a customer-oriented system, customer satisfaction rates are high.
Trucks, locomotives, trains, and trailers can be transported to distant locations in short periods of time.
It is possible to transport semi-trailer trucks together with all their components.
No customs queues are experienced.
There is no need for transit documents for international transport, and no transit fees are paid.
Problems such as road traffic congestion and visa issues for drivers in international destinations are eliminated.