Shared container, dedicated container or RoRo: how to choose

Once the car is bought and the export file is ready, it remains to choose how it travels. From Dubai there are three options, plus air freight for special cases.

Shared container

Your car shares a 40-foot container with other vehicles, usually up to four depending on their size, firmly strapped down. It is the most requested option: the cost of the container is split between the cars, and each one travels under cover, sealed in.

• Best for: most cars and SUVs.
• Good to know: departure waits until the container is full; on frequent routes, the wait is short.

Our shared-container rates, port to port, are in the cost estimator.

Dedicated container

A container just for you: 20 feet for one car, 40 feet for two or more cars, or for a car plus parts. It leaves as soon as it is loaded.

• Best for: valuable vehicles, grouped shipments, or when you want to add parts and accessories.
• Good to know: more expensive per car, but the timing depends only on you.

RoRo (roll-on, roll-off)

A RoRo ship is a floating car park: the car drives on under its own power and travels on the ship's inner decks. No container to load or unload.

• Best for: cars in running order, especially large SUVs and pick-ups, when your destination is served by a RoRo line.
• Good to know: the car must be empty of personal belongings, and RoRo lines do not call at every port.

Air freight

For an urgent or very valuable vehicle, a plane cuts the journey to a few days. The cost is much higher and is quoted case by case.

At a glance

• Price: RoRo and the shared container are usually the most economical; a dedicated container costs more per car; air freight far more.
• Protection: a container, shared or dedicated, protects best, since the car travels closed and sealed.
• Timing: a dedicated container leaves as soon as it is loaded; a shared one depends on filling up; RoRo on the line's schedule.

Marine insurance

Sea freight is safe, but insurance covers damage and loss during the voyage. It is optional, offered with the quote and calculated on the car's value. For a valuable vehicle, we recommend it.

Tracking your car

Whatever the method, you receive the bill of lading (BL) issued by the shipping line (Maersk, CMA CGM, COSCO and others). Its number lets you follow the ship live on the line's own website, all the way to arrival.

Our advice: for a single car, the shared container offers the best balance of price and protection. Tell us your arrival port and we will tell you which options serve it and how long they take.

Ready to ship? Ask for a quote with your arrival port.