When shipping any vehicle by roll on/roll off (also known as RoRo), it is important to prepare your vehicle for export in plenty of time. The journey by sea can be a long and drawn out one depending on how far it has to travel overseas. RoRo vessels will stop and call at many different ports on route to your chosen destination so preparing your vehicle for export is key to have it arrive in tip top condition.
It is advisable to put your vehicle through a full service at a trusted garage. A good mechanic will give the engine a good once over, they will change the oil, oil filter, water filter and will check the condition of your battery. Leaving the vehicle idle for long periods of time will see many batteries flat once it has arrived so in order to eliminate this issue, it may be worth fitting a new battery to the car prior to shipment or at the very least make sure that the current battery can hold its charge for long periods.
Always top up your radiator with coolant and ensure that you have plenty of screen wash in the bottle, this may seem pointless but trust me it could be very beneficial in the long run.. it is also imperative that you check for any oil or water leaks as this is a good indicator that something could be seriously wrong.
Also when shipping any vehicle by roll on/roll off you also need to be mindful that the fuel left within the tank cannot exceed more than a quarter of a tank. If you do have more than a quarter of tank the shipping line will refuse to load this on board the vessel. You may however be given the option to have the fuel drained but this will be at your cost and will be sorted out by a mechanic at the port.
We also advise checking the tyre pressure on all 4 tyres plus the spare prior to delivering it to the port. Make sure that all tyres are road legal here in the UK and also at your chosen destination overseas.
All vehicles being shipped by roll on/roll off will be parked inside a very secure compound which is basically like a big car park. There will be CCTV and/or security guards that walk around the site 24/7 making sure that all vehicles are safe and secure. Once the vessel has docked the ramps are lowered for ease of loading where professional vehicle handlers also known as stevedores will drive the vehicles on board the ship. All vehicles will be secured to the vessel floor by straps and chocks to ensure the safety of each vehicle throughout its journey. Each vehicle is parked within set parking bays, inches away to it neighbouring vehicle. The straps will hold the vehicle in place throughout its voyage, the professional handlers will constantly check the straps for movement or slacking off and will constantly monitor any unusual activity especially if they hit rough seas.
Upon the arrival at your chosen destination, vehicles are then unstrapped and driven off the vessel using the ramps previously used for loading. Once offloaded they are taken to a secure compound where they will stay until they have cleared through customs and any holds on the vehicle are taken off. We recommend you use a trusted clearing agent in your country of arrival, they can do this for you for a small fee, arrange for the delivery order and liaise with customs if any duty or taxes are applicable. Most ports only allow up to 5 days free storage so time is of the essence when dealing with procedures and formalities.
For further information on shipping a vehicle overseas by roll on/roll off then please feel free to contact us for more details. https://www.shipcars.co.uk