In order to get vehicles from Alaska to other states in the continental United States, the shipping process is a bit more complicated than it regularly is. Most often, we can just grab your vehicle and haul it onto one of our open or enclosed auto transportation trucks, however due to where Alaska is in relation to the rest of the country, your vehicle first has to go onto a shipping container. When we bring your vehicle onto a shipping container like this, we use the roll-on/roll-off method!
What exactly is the roll-on/roll-off shipping method?
Well, this shipping method is used with specific ships that are able to carry cargo that is on wheels, such as cars, trailers, trucks, etc. Professionals in this industry will then drive the vehicles onto the ship either by driving the vehicle itself or towing it depending on the nature of the vehicle. They can also get assistance by using platform vehicles or self-propelled module transporters. This is all done to get the vehicle on board the ship by merely, as the name suggests, rolling it on.
Why is this shipping style seen as different?
Well, when it comes to shipping on a cargo ship without roll-on/roll-off, cargo is instead lifted on using cranes and other devices. This shipping method is for non-wheeled cargo and is known as lift-on/lift-off.
What kinds of shipping vessels can use roll-on/roll-off?
Any shipping vessel that utilizes roll-on/roll-off is known as a RORO ship. There are a number of shipping vessels with the capability to be RORO ships. The most common vehicles are cargo ships, barges, ferries, cruise ferries, and specific RORO ships that only ship cars known as PCC or Pure Car Carriers.
These shipping vessels vary in the amount of cargo that can be carried, but all use roll-on/roll-off. So, if you are shipping your vehicle to or from Alaska, it could be rolled onto and off of any of these vessels!
