Ro-ro transportation is a type of maritime transport carried out with specialized vessels. Housing numerous advantages within itself, this method is highly developed in our country as well. In this content, we will discuss this type of transport, which has an important place in logistics processes. You can read the rest of the text to find answers to questions such as what is ro-ro transportation and how is it done.

What Is a Ro-Ro Ship?

The answer to the question of what is a ro-ro ship can be given as the vehicle in which the related type of transport takes place. Products within the scope of ro-ro transport are carried with the help of specialized vessels. Thanks to this transport method, traffic in road transport is reduced. Products that would normally be transported by road are carried by Ro-ro ship. Thus, congestion on the highways is relieved. Semi-trailers are loaded onto the special ships used for this purpose. The types of Ro-ro ships are as follows;

• CONRO: Vessels carrying vehicles and containers

• PTCT: Vessels carrying cargo vehicles

• ROPAX: Vessels carrying vehicles and passengers

• PCC: Vessels carrying vehicles only

What Is Ro-Ro Transportation?

When looked at in terms of word meaning, the question of what is ro-ro is in the form of an abbreviation of the words Roll-on and Roll-off. Ro-ro, which is the abbreviation of this expansion, is at the very top of transport types. This concept, which refers to the transport of logistics vehicles from the point of departure to the point of destination by sea, emerged through the influence of ferries. If equipment is loaded and unloaded onto a Ro-ro ship, the transport in question can be mentioned. After answering the question of what ro-ro means, it is useful to go into the details of the transport in question.

How Is Ro-Ro Transportation Done?

By its definition, ro-ro transportation can only be carried out with the help of specialized ships. We mentioned that ferries played a major role in making this transport, which is done through specialized ships, go viral.

The application in question is a shipping method that also includes the vehicles in which the carriage takes place. That is, within the scope of Ro-ro transportation, there are towable loads such as trucks, semi-trucks, cars, and trains.

Underneath the development of the transport in question lie the increasing demands of users. Leading companies in their fields, such as Navlungo, quickly respond to these user demands by utilizing the relevant transport method. 

What Is the Vehicle Capacity of Ro-Ro Ships?

The vehicle capacities of Ro-ro ships differ from one another. These special ships are also used in the transfer of manufactured wheeled vehicles from one point to another. This indicates that the ships in question have larger dimensions and carrying capacities than standard ships. While these ships are larger than other types of ferries, there are also types of ro-ro ships. This is determined by different logistics companies.

If we look at the capacities of Ro-ro ships, we see that 300-500 standard passenger vehicles can be taken onto these vessels. Approximately 80-100 of the semi-trucks, which have a larger volume than passenger vehicles, can be easily transported on these special ships. Vehicle loading capacities and transport purposes determine the characteristics of Ro-ro ships. You can contact the Navlungo team to get detailed information about Ro-ro transportation.

How Are Vehicles Loaded Onto Ro-Ro Ships?

Vehicles, which are the main subject for Ro-Ro transport, are loaded with a great logistical effort. It is mandatory for the vehicle driver to be present in the port area for the relevant practice. It is also important to obtain permission from the port in order to load the vehicles onto the special ship.

Vehicles must be loaded onto the Ro-ro ship on the date and time the permission is obtained. In some cases, while vehicles are being taken onto the ship, only trailer loading can be done. In addition, there may be trucks loaded onto the ship along with the tractor unit and semi-trailer. After all, issues such as which vehicle will be loaded onto the ship and how are dependent on the agreement made between the sender company and the carrier company.

What Is a Ro-Ro Port?

The question of what is a ro-ro port is answered as the ports used for loading vehicles onto the ships in question or unloading these vehicles from the ship. A ro-ro port is not within the scope of standard ports. Special areas and equipment are needed for applications such as transporting and unloading vehicles.

This has been the starting point for Ro-Ro ports. These ports, where the transport in question takes place, are located in several different cities. While the vehicles taken from the port are brought to certain countries, in case of a situation such as inadequacy of ports, the transfer is continued by road. 

Benefits of Ro-Ro Transportation

Ro-ro transportation harbors many advantages within itself. In this type of shipping, vehicles are transported using special methods and equipment. Particularly when vehicles with special dimensions and weights are in question, this transport is directly preferred. In this context, we can list the advantages of ro-ro transportation as follows;

• The prominent advantage in the ro-ro shipping type is speed. With this method, while the congestion of the highways is relieved, time can be gained.

• Mostly having capacities of 4000 to 5000 vehicles, ro-ro ships can offer capacities of up to 8000. This makes international transport possible in every sense.

• Almost any vehicle can be transported in this type of transport. Foremost among these are caravans, expedition trucks, 4x4s, cars, and motorcycles. Moreover, these special ships can even transport trucks when necessary.

• Ro-ro freight transport is a method that offers ease of loading cars onto the ship. This means time savings for both parties.

In addition to all these, there is a system in Ro-ro logistics that is far from the complexity of normal port and customs procedures. The absence of applications such as lashing and shipping makes ro-ro transportation simpler for the sender.

Ro-Ro Transportation in Turkey

Our country is home to many port cities. This ensures that Ro-ro transportation takes place intensively in Turkey. Ro-ro transportation first began in 1977 and continues to be used in a much more developed form today. It is possible to see these shipping practices actively in many cities specific to Turkey. Some routes can be listed as follows;

• Mersin, Izmir, and Trieste Line

• Çeşme Trieste Line

• Taşucu Kyrenia Line

• İskenderun Duba Line

• Haydarpaşa Chornomorsk Line

• Mersin Famagusta Line

• Zonguldak Chornomorsk Line

• Yalova Sete Line

Haydarpaşa, Samsun, Pendik, Rize, Mersin, Çeşme, and Ambarlı ports are at the head of the areas where domestic and foreign vehicles perform Ro-ro transportation. If you are looking for professional support for the relevant shipping type, you can meet the Navlungo team, who will be the solution to all your logistics demands.